Greetings, lovely people!

I’ve had a few really satisfying patient consultation experiences this week and feel pretty high on the motivational interviewing drug at the moment. It’s. Just. The. Best. And it makes the biggest difference and most sense in terms of population health and health promotion. This links nicely to choice architecture (more below) and positive sequelae of “warmer homes, safer streets, cleaner air, better diets”. Sounds pretty dandy.

A reminder that FREE tickets are out for Eco Medics 2022: A prescription for climate action. There are countless ways to get involved at Eco Medics 2022. Whether you fancy running a breakout session, submitting an abstract for a poster or oral presentation, setting up an immersive art display, or making a submission to our medical student competition and/or prestigious photography competition (judged by National Geographic photographer Robbie Shone and run in collaboration with The Adventure Medic), we’d love to hear from you!

Abstract submissions HERE! The topic is broad; QIPs, audits, and other research projects are all welcomed, as long as sustainability in healthcare/the environment and health is the core theme.

Sustainable MedEd Hackathon HERE! The winning team will have the opportunity to present their work at our international conference. Each participant will receive an Eco Medics KeepCup and a Revolution Zero reusable face mask. And for those wanting even more of an incentive, watch this space for even more prize material up for grabs very soon.

Sustainable adventure photo competition HERE! Adventure in the outdoors is hugely beneficial to both our physical and mental health. However, with biodiversity loss increasing at an alarming rate, air pollution from long haul flights on the rise, and a rapidly warming planet, we can’t ignore the environmental and therefore wider health consequences of our actions. Winning prize of a Patagonia bag with runner-up and people’s vote prizes of Bower and Grüum products along with Eco Medics’ cups and masks.

The latest IPCC report was published recently.

Follow the UK’s 1st CQC registered online plant-based healthcare service @plantbased_healthonline and @plantbasedhealthprofessionals for some stimulating content.

How scientists grew spinach in the desert by harvesting water out of thin air - lovely concept!

The new and improved NHS Forest website. Again, a lovely concept :)

Sustainability in Quality Improvement (SusQI) explained - a helpful video from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.

New subscriber or haven’t used the calculator yet? Take our 5 minute quiz to find out!

After taking the test, make a few pledges to reduce your carbon footprint, and then have the opportunity to carbon offset the rest in Gold Standard approved projects.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or questions, feel free to reach out on Instagram, or just hit reply to send us a direct email! In the mean time, we’d love you even more if you fancy buying us a coffee to help us pay the bills so we can keep Eco Medics running.

By for now,

Dave

Today’s issue was written by David Maasdorp, an EM specialty doctor and GP trainee in London and Eco Medics Director. Follow David on Instagram @thegeneraladventurer.