The RSNA has released a special report that addresses radiology's role in combatting climate change.
The report, published April 18 in Radiology, urges the specialty to develop low-carbon, sustainable climate change initiatives. It outlines the impact climate degradation has on human health and health equity as well as how healthcare and medical imaging contribute to the crisis.
The global health care system emits more than two gigatons of CO2 equivalent annually and accounts for 5% to 8.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions in developed nations, according to the RSNA. Medical imaging accounts for 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and most of these come from the production of equipment and the energy needed to power it, the society said.
"Radiologists are well positioned to play a leading role in pushing for greener health care," the RSNA said in a statement. "As experts in technology, radiologists can innovate more sustainable methods of care, such as finding new applications for telemedicine and telecommuting, reducing energy-intense imaging sequences that do not add clinical value, and scheduling patients more efficiently to minimize idle time for equipment. [Radiologists] can also prioritize the energy efficiency of equipment in their purchasing decisions and work with vendors to improve the sustainability of their products."
Senior author Dr. Kate Hanneman of the University of Toronto in Canada further stressed the important role radiology can play in addressing the climate crisis.
"Because radiologists are adept at managing rapid technological change, we are ideally positioned to lead these initiatives within our departments, health care systems, and communities," she said in the society's statement.
In other RSNA news, the society has joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Network of Experts, a group that includes more than 100 partner scientific and medical organizations that provide the FDA with expertise. The RSNA's participation in the program will be administered by its government relations committee, it said.
