Climate Change and the Local Environment: Communicating with Your Patients about Health Impacts

摘要

I have a patient, K.B., with a three-year history of asthma. The patient's parent is concerned because K.B. wakes every night coughing. The family just moved to an apartment that does not have air conditioning and has received several code violations for a leaking roof and windows. The apartment is located next to two major interstate highways and is 10 miles from a cement factory. Air quality has reached the orange zone several times this month, and pollen levels have been consistently high for several months. I have provided the parent with an Asthma Action Plan and updated K.B.'s medications according to current guidelines. I believe that the environmental factors exacerbate or even cause my patient's condition, so how do I talk with the family about these issues over which they have little or no control? How do I talk with a patient about issues such as air pollution or climate change and their impacts on health?