MútuaTerrassa has received a double recognition from the College of Physicians of Barcelona at the second edition of the Awards for best practices in climate action and planetary health. These awards celebrate the healthcare sector's commitment to combating climate change.
The first award was given to a pioneering project aiming to minimize the impact of climate change on chronic patients through an integrated health and housing model. This study, titled “Project 4C: integrated health and housing model to reduce the impact of climate change on chronic patients”, was developed under the umbrella of the Chair of Health and Climate Change at the University of Barcelona / MútuaTerrassa. The goal is to personalize preventive interventions by combining clinical, climatic, environmental, and habitability data to improve health outcomes for this vulnerable population.
The research evaluated the impact of thermal comfort on vulnerable patients during heatwaves, analyzing how housing characteristics and cooling methods influence morbidity and mortality. The study, conducted in collaboration with the building school of the UPC, Meteocat, and the Terrassa City Council, concludes that most of these patients live in homes poorly adapted to the climate crisis, increasing their risk. Preliminary results were presented at the European Congress on Health and Climate Change in Tallinn, Estonia.
The second recognition, an honorable mention, was awarded to the project “Chemotherapy at Home: we care for patients, we care for the planet”. This program for administering chemotherapy at home to hematological patients improves quality of life, reduces travel and hospital stays, and lowers the carbon footprint. The project has avoided the emission of 1,054 kg of CO2 eq and over 4,000 km of travel, while also optimizing professional logistics with hybrid vehicles.
The transformation towards sustainable healthcare models can improve patient quality of life and the health of the planet.
These works were presented by Dr. David Dalmau, director of the Chair of Health and Climate Change, and Dr. Teresa Villalobos, adjunct to the Hematology service at the Hospital Universitari MútuaTerrassa, respectively. With a total of twelve projects competing, the awards highlight the importance of integrating sustainability into healthcare practice.
