615 Achieving Net Zero Emission by 2050 – The Medical Education Route

Dunne, H; Rizan, C; Jones, A; Bhutta, M; Okorie, M

INTRODUCTION: There is growing demand to reduce the environmental impact of surgery. Healthcare sustainability has recently become a mandatory GMC learning outcome for undergraduates, but expertise amongst faculty and time within the curriculum are limited. We piloted an E-module that uses surgical case studies to teach these concepts. METHOD: Evidenced-based multi-media learning principles were used to develop the module. 3(rd) and 4(th) year students at Brighton and Sussex Medical School were invited to partake and complete pre- and post-module questionnaires comprising 5-point Likert scales and white-space questions. The primary outcome measures were changes in student-reported understanding of four key concepts: Environmental impact of healthcare Influence of climate change on health. Principles of sustainable clinical practice. Health co-benefits of climate change mitigation. RESULTS: 33 students completed the E-module. Questionnaire results indicated a significant increase in understanding of all key concepts (p < 0.001). Students most commonly rated improving sustainability of healthcare as ‘extremely important’. Common themes within white space responses included the importance of preventative medicine and that the module was informative, interactive, user-friendly, and engaging. The majority (81%) strongly agreed that all undergraduates should undertake this module. CONCLUSIONS: This E-module is an effective and COVID-19-safe resource. Adapting this module for postgraduate surgical education should be explored.