Addressing Climate-Related Health Impacts During the Patient Encounter: A Practical Guide for Pediatric Dermatologists

Abstract

Pediatric populations are expected to bear most of the climate change impacts, with racial minorities and children living in poorer countries being particularly vulnerable. Given their relevance to cutaneous disease, dermatologists should be aware of these climate-sensitive health impacts and the ways in which they intersect with social factors. Strategies including targeted risk communication, motivational interviewing, and storytelling can help facilitate climate discussions during the patient encounter. In this article the authors summarize common dermatologic health impacts related to environmental exposures and provide sample scripts for climate messaging.

Keywords: Climate change; History of present illness (HPI); Motivational interviewing; Narrative medicine; Patient education; Pollution; Risk communication; Social determinants of health.