Environmental Responsibility in the Physiotherapy Profession: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Purpose: Climate change and environmental crises are critical health hazards of the 21st century. Health care professionals, including physiotherapists, play crucial roles in responding to the impacts of these phenomena on human health and well-being, yet health care delivery can have negative environmental effects. We sought to investigate how environmental responsibility is understood and enacted within physiotherapy. Method: Following Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework and PRISMA-ScR guideline, databases, including Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, and PsycInfo and targeted websites, were searched. Academic and grey literature documents on environmental responsibility in physiotherapy, published after January 2013 and in English, were included. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 45 documents, including 10 academic and 35 grey documents, were included. Three framings of environmental responsibility were identified: (1) future-oriented framings of responsibility; (2) advocacy and health promotion in physiotherapy; and (3) ecological thinking and integration. Strategies for physiotherapists to promote environmentally responsible practice are improving clinic design and operations, reducing and managing waste, and adopting more sustainable transportation practices. They can further advance environmental responsibility through education and advocacy. Conclusions: In line with its mandate to promote health and well-being, the physiotherapy profession should take concrete steps to be environmentally responsible, including implementing actions identified through this review.