Even though the topic can be controversial, some doctors plan to start talking with their patients and communities about climate change.

A coalition of mainstream medical associations that together represent more than half of all American physicians announced this week that it will urge white-coat professionals to link health problems such as asthma, allergies and the spread of certain diseases with environmental shifts that most scientists believe are caused by global warming.

The American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology are among those that have joined the new Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health. In its first public remarks Wednesday, the group cited the northward expansion of tropical infections like Zika and warming temperatures causing heat-related illnesses as examples of climate change’s impacts on health.

The consortium’s stance runs counter to the opinions of some critics who said today’s science has not reached the level of precision and sophistication necessary to make such direct connections between climate change and health effects. Some also wonder whether discussing sensitive political issues with patients could erode trust between doctor and patient.


The consortium is asking physicians to volunteer to become “champions” in their communities by speaking out to their own patients and to local policymakers. Its website — medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org — includes handouts that assert how climate change affects asthma, allergies and heat-related medical problems.

“We believe the risk is there and it’s growing. We really need to speak out,” said Dr. Mona Sarfaty, the consortium’s leader and director of the Program for Climate and Health at George Mason University in Virginia.

Dr. Jennifer Marks, who teaches medical students how to communicate with patients in her role as a professor with the Keck School of Medicine of USC, said the rule is generally to avoid controversial topics.

“We see patients with all kinds of beliefs about many things that we may not necessarily share, but that should not alter how we take care of their health,” Marks said. “I want them to share whatever’s on their mind and feel that they will not be judged.”


On the other hand, she added, doctors are obligated to keep up with the latest research in their fields. They do need to understand what is driving patients’ symptoms so they can treat them effectively.

Asked whether she would mention climate change when advising a pregnant woman about how she could avoid mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus, Marks said that element would not necessarily top her list. Explaining to patients that many scientists link climate change to the expansion of mosquito territory seems a little far afield from providing specific medical advice, she said.

“I think the conversation I would have with the patient would be focused on their individual needs and maybe not so much on the origins of the virus, unless they expressed an interest in that information,” Marks said.

Some physicians are pushing for that broader discussion.


Dr. Bruce Bekkar of San Diego recently left a 24-year career as an obstetrician and gynecologist with Kaiser Permanente to advocate full time on climate change and health issues.

Given the same Zika virus scenario, he said he would be comfortable mentioning climate change in explaining to a pregnant patient why she needs to be more careful about mosquitoes today versus a few years ago.

“I wouldn’t go on and on about it and let it dominate the visit. But I think I would say something like, ‘Science tells us unequivocally this is a new risk to you due to climate change,’” Bekkar said.

He also said as long as communication about climate change is backed up with valid research, he’s comfortable with a little discomfort among his patients. “I’ve always felt that my job is not necessarily to protect their ego but to give them necessary information that could change their lives. That may mean that I piss them off or ruffle their feathers a little bit, and so be it,” he said.


It’s difficult to project just how much impact the new consortium will make. While total membership of the participating medical organizations exceeds 400,000 physicians, it is unknown how many doctors will actually participate in the climate-change campaign.

For years, the World Health Organization has described global warming as a significant threat to human health.

More recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention canceled a Climate and Health Summit without explanation. Some observers have viewed that action as a sign that the new presidential administration in Washington, D.C., will take a different position on government participation in programs that try to address climate change. President Donald Trump and his assistants have not spoken publicly on this topic.

On Wednesday, the consortium said it intends to send the Trump administration a copy of its report on climate change and health. But it steered clear of taking a political stand.


“We are a health group, not a political group,” Sarfaty said.

The consortium’s other members include the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, Immunology; American Academy of Pediatrics; American College of Preventive Medicine; American Geriatrics Society; American Podiatric Medical Association; Infectious Diseases Society of America; National Medical Association; and the Society of General Internal Medicine.

The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest society for doctors, is not part of the consortium. It did not respond to a request for comment.


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