Philips Australia survey highlights public support for environmental sustainability in healthcare and urgent action for collaboration
- Jun 18, 2024
- 3 minute read
At a glance
Majority (60%) of Australians surveyed feel a sense of urgency for healthcare to be delivered sustainably to minimise its environmental impact, but 1 in 2 do not think that sustainable healthcare practices are being widely adopted.
87% regard the role of technology as critical in driving environmental sustainability in healthcare delivery.
Sydney, Australia – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, has unveiled the results of a new public Sustainable Healthcare survey, which sheds light on Australians' views on sustainable healthcare and its impact on patient outcomes and health system resilience. Conducted with research agency Kantar Profiles Network across more than 1,000 respondents in Australia, the survey results reinforce the significance of sustainable healthcare in delivering efficient and effective care, whilst also addressing the urgent need to bridge the gap in public awareness and adoption.
Two out of three Australians call for sustainable healthcare
The best care for patients must do no harm to the planet, and the survey findings align with the launch of Philips Care means the world campaign message, emphasising the public’s awareness of the interconnectedness of climate change and personal health. The survey revealed that a substantial majority of Australians (79%) believe that climate change directly impacts their personal health, and an equally large majority (79%) consider sustainable healthcare as important, with one in three respondents emphasising its high importance.
The public's top reasons for valuing sustainable healthcare include the belief that it can lead to better patient outcomes and more resilient health systems, with 56% saying it will lead to improved quality of care, 52% highlighting it reduces healthcare costs, and 50% emphasising how it supports efficient use of energy and resources.
It’s clear that Australians see a vital link between human and environmental health, and are ready to support sustainable healthcare practices.
Matt Moran
In response to the survey findings, Matt Moran, Managing Director, Philips Australia and New Zealand, said: “It’s clear that Australians see a vital link between human and environmental health, and are ready to support sustainable healthcare practices. Understanding and embracing the community's expectations for sustainable healthcare brings us one step closer to building a more robust healthcare ecosystem that improves care for all.”
According to Philips, sustainable healthcare involves delivering quality care to those who need it whilst minimising environmental impact. This includes reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint, eliminating pollution and waste, and adopting practices that promote the circular use of resources—using less, using longer, and reusing products. Additionally, digitising healthcare infrastructure plays a crucial role in reaching more patients efficiently and sustainably [1].
Digital health viewed as key tenet of more resilient, sustainable and efficient healthcare systems
Furthermore, the survey highlighted the pivotal role of digital health in fostering more resilient and preventive healthcare systems. Australians view digital health solutions as environmentally-friendly and time-saving, citing telehealth (37%) and electronic health records (34%) as the primary sustainable healthcare practices they were aware of.
On top of its perceived environmental benefits, the majority of respondents expressed confidence in digital health technology's ability to support preventive care and staying healthy, with 64% using personal health tech or devices to monitor their health. In fact, Australians surveyed see preventive care solutions as a contributor to more environmentally-friendly healthcare, with one of the top 5 sustainable healthcare solutions that Australians are keen to support being in the area of preventive care with early warning systems (30%). Across all age groups, Australians also viewed efficient resource allocation (28%) and efficient energy usage (26%) as most beneficial outcomes of technology.
Gaps in education and adoption of sustainable healthcare call for urgent action
The survey underscored the need for greater action and investment in education, adoption, and addressing opportunity gaps in sustainable healthcare. Whilst 79% of Australians recognise the importance of sustainability in healthcare, nearly 29% are unaware of how to support their healthcare providers’ sustainability practices. Only 21% are aware if their providers adopt sustainable healthcare initiatives such as using reusable medical supplies or energy-efficient medical equipment (20%). At the same time, Australians are eager to support these efforts: 47% of respondents believe that increased education would support them in prioritising and contributing to sustainable healthcare. This gap between awareness and intention underscores the need for more education about sustainable healthcare initiatives.
The strong recognition of how important sustainable healthcare is, is offset by a similarly large adoption gap, with 1 in 2 Australians (54%) not believing that sustainable healthcare practices are widely adopted. The survey identified the top 3 key challenges to more widespread adoption of sustainable healthcare practices, related to higher upfront costs (37%), time needed to implement changes (33%) and lack of financial incentives (31%). This might go to some extent toward explaining why only 20% of respondents expressed a willingness to recommend sustainable healthcare services to others. Greater investment into innovation targeted at overcoming key barriers in adopting sustainable healthcare practices can potentially go a long way to bridge the adoption gap.
Seeing that Australians’ primary awareness of sustainable healthcare is derived from healthcare technology practices in use today, including digital health solutions such as telehealth (37%) and electronic health records (34%), results also show that we may not be taking full advantage of the efficacy and environmental benefits offered by digital health services. A surprising majority (63%) of Australians surveyed are unaware if their healthcare provider offers telehealth. This calls for more work to be done in expanding public awareness of and access to digital health services, if we are serious about connecting more patients to the care they need.
The survey highlights significant opportunities to bridge the gap in adoption and awareness of sustainable healthcare practices. Leveraging digital health innovation, EcoDesign and strategic collaboration as key drivers of impact, we’re committed to improving health outcomes for people, patients and the planet.
Matt Moran
Matt Moran, Managing Director, Philips Australia and New Zealand, stressed the importance of advancing sustainable healthcare in Australia, stating, "The survey highlights significant opportunities to bridge the gap in adoption and awareness of sustainable healthcare practices. Leveraging digital health innovation, EcoDesign and strategic collaboration as key drivers of impact, we’re committed to improving health outcomes for people, patients and the planet.”
Released alongside the launch of Philips Care means the world campaign in Australia, the survey results reaffirm public support for Philips’ commitment to caring for people, patients and the planet, and also serves as a call to action to the healthcare industry, urging stakeholders to join hands and deploy the right strategies, solutions and services to address the identified gaps and accelerate the adoption of sustainable healthcare practices, which ultimately drives better patient outcomes and enhances health system resilience.
Together with healthcare providers and partners across the value chain, Philips is driving sustainability impact through circular solutions, innovations and educational initiatives, focused on ensuring sustainable operations. Read more about Philips ESG goals and environmental efforts.
