Review of the Environmental Impact of Digital Health: a Call for Structural Mitigation Measures

Summary

Digital health technologies, including electronic health data, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence, have transformed healthcare delivery by improving accessibility, efficiency, and adaptability to climate risks. However, these innovations come with significant environmental costs, particularly greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy-intensive data storage, processing, and transmission. This scoping study aims to assess the dual impact of digital health: its potential to reduce digital healthcare related environmental footprints while also contributing to environmental degradation. Additionally, it evaluates existing and emerging policies addressing sustainability in the digital health sector.

A scoping review was conducted to analyze scientific and grey literature, policy documents, related to digital health and environmental sustainability.

Key findings show that, while digital health enhances healthcare adaptability related to climate risks, the size of its impact on environmental resources is uncertain though sufficient to mandate actions. Voluntary mitigation measures are emerging in health-related software development, data lifecycle management, and hardware deployment. However, the review underlines a critical gap in digital health related regulations where environmental considerations and related mitigation measures remain largely unaddressed.

While digital health offers promising solutions for climate-resilient healthcare, digital health environmental sustainability remains inadequately addressed. This study highlights the urgent need for policy interventions to balance digital health advancements with global climate mitigation goals. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and technology developers must prioritize green and sustainable practices, ensuring that digital health contributes to both healthcare innovation and environmental responsibility.