Extreme heat and our health | 10/22

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Deep dive: Extreme heat and our health

It might be fall, but our planet isn’t getting any cooler. Last week, U.S. public health officials announced at least 360 extreme heat deaths in the Phoenix area this year, and the Canary Islands closed schools temporarily as soaring temperatures hit the archipelago. This follows a summer of extreme heat: Maui burned, Morocco and Japan hit new records, and July broke records as the hottest month in modern times. 

There are many health and financial implications of extreme heat that don’t necessarily make headlines. For example, increasing heat has caused a record number of heat strokes in high school athletes, spikes in emergency room visits and hospitalizations from heat waves, and daily increases in cases of cardiovascular events and kidney stones.

Beyond the suffering, there’s a massive price tag — a $1 billion annual price tag to be exact — associated with the excess healthcare utilization driven by extreme heat, according to researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the Center for American Progress. This includes 235,000 emergency room visits, and 56,000 hospital admissions for associated illnesses related to heat.

So what can we do about it? Here are a few starting points for healthcare stakeholders: 

  • Community-wide Heat Health Action Plans: Government agencies, regulatory bodies, local organizations, and health systems should collaborate to continue scaling heat health action plans. These plans can help identify and protect vulnerable populations, maintain safe indoor temperatures, and facilitate clear communication with the public and staff. Initiatives might include setting up cooling centers and arranging transportation for those in need.

  • Using Telehealth: Health systems can use telehealth and remote patient monitoring to keep tabs on individuals at risk for heat-related illnesses. Taking a page from a global example that can be applied to the U.S., Rome’s health authorities have repurposed a COVID-19 monitoring app to offer timely heatwave advice to the elderly and vulnerable, guiding them on medication adjustments and increased hydration.

  • Educating Patients on Heat Risks: Providers should actively inform patients about the dangers of extreme heat and how to mitigate risks. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has released a free extreme heat toolkit to equip healthcare providers, clinics, and patients with the knowledge to navigate the health challenges of high temperatures. Additionally, providers should evaluate and address the unique challenges heatwaves might present to specific patient demographics, such as those undergoing cancer treatment.

  • Leveraging Tools and Data for Surveillance. Healthcare providers and agencies can use tools like heat.gov resources, to prepare and respond to heat-related emergencies. The site features valuable layers of information, including the Heat-Related EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard, which tracks emergency medical service activations related to heat. 

  • Pharmaceutical Safeguarding: Pharmaceutical companies, providers, and regulatory bodies must collaborate to bolster patient safety during heat waves by emphasizing therapeutic drug monitoring, innovating heat-resilient medications, and formulating standardized protocols for reporting medication interactions and adverse reactions caused by extreme heat.

Other news

  • The Biden-Harris administration announced this week big actions through the Inflation Reduction Act to bring affordable clean energy to hardworking families, a big step towards safer, healthier housing. (White House)

  • This article spotlights the tricky dynamic of health system operations in balancing financial growth and its negative impact on the environment and health, and innovative strategies to break the cycle. (Nature)

  • The NIEHS Global Environmental Health (GEH) Program released the Climate Change and Human Health (CCHH) Glossary, a searchable online resource of 300 terms and definitions relevant to climate change and health research and policy. (NIH)

  • Four student-led podcasts offer a glimpse into the minds of students and discuss the significant impact of climate change-induced extreme weather events on children's physical and mental health, as well as the need for urgent action to address the growing climate-related health challenges they face. (NPR)

  • Global leaders spotlight the critical intersection between health and climate ahead of COP-28 first-ever Health Day. (WHO)

Events & opportunities

  • Waterfront Workings: Renewable Infrastructure for a Resilient City, NYC, Sun, Oct 22 (Link)

  • Climate & Health 2023 Conference hosted by Hofstra/Northwell, New York, Oct 20 - 22 (Link)

  • NorCal Symposium on Climate, Health, Equity, Virtual, Nov 8 (Link)

  • 2023 Lancet Countdown Report Launch, Virtual, Nov 15 (Link)

  • Fossil Fuel Pollution and Climate Change hosted by NEJM, Virtual, Nov 16 (Link)

  • Practice GreenHealth How-to Guidance for Conducting a GHG Inventory Series, Scope 1, Virtual, Nov 16 (Link)

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