15 Developing a consensus to guide eco-ethical leadership and education for sustainable healthcare

No funding was provided. All authors contributed their own time. One member of the author group is President of AMEE. Two authors are affiliates of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare which offers ESH courses. Healthcare contributes significantly to nature degradation. We must transform health systems to protect planetary health, on which human health depends. Crucial for this transformation is Education for Sustainable Healthcare (ESH) to prepare current & future health professionals, & nurture leaders who can advance a shared vision & support constructive, collaborative action.

Methods

Under the auspices of AMEE, a multidisciplinary team of health professional educators & students from four continents collaborated to develop a consensus statement (CS) to guide educators, students, educational institutions & accreditation bodies. Three lead authors facilitated the development of a framework, collaborative write-up, & incorporation of iterative feedback from contributors & independent expert reviewers.

Results

The CS outlines a vision for the theory & practice of ESH, including a strategy to develop eco-ethical leadership. The CS describes elements of ESH which can be adapted to local contexts: Learning outcomes & objectives Educational strategies, including to incorporate a planetary health perspective within existing teaching without adding significant burden for educators & learners Assessments for learning Faculty development Route map & timeline for implementation Discussion of development of indicators to measure implementation Resources list, including curriculum frameworks & underpinning scientific, healthcare & educational literature Glossary

Discussion

Challenges of online working included time zones, aligning varied perspectives & priorities, & building communities of practice. Indigenous, student & practitioner perspectives from different countries are represented in the CS. We hope that further, diverse perspectives are involved in interpretation, implementation, & future revisions. The CS provides a mandate & practical guide to develop health professionals confident & competent to lead transition to sustainable healthcare.