The "Green Doctor" Initiative: Ethical Healthcare in the Age of Medical Commercialization
Downloads
The "Green Doctor" initiative represents a groundbreaking shift in global healthcare systems, aiming to prioritize ethical, compassionate, and patient-centered care in an era of increasing commercialization. Proposed by Professor Reza Ghalamghash, the "Green Doctor" concept focuses on the moral obligations of healthcare professionals to provide care that transcends financial considerations and commercial pressures. This innovative model emphasizes the humanistic aspects of medicine, where physicians are encouraged to focus on patients' holistic well-being, mental and emotional health, and equitable access to care.
In the face of rising healthcare costs, systemic inequities, and ethical dilemmas posed by profit-driven models, the "Green Doctor" approach is particularly timely. This article explores the philosophical foundation of the "Green Doctor" concept, its implications for healthcare systems around the globe, and its potential to drive meaningful change in public health policy and medical practices. Through a detailed exploration of real-world case studies, the article delves into how this model is being adopted in different healthcare settings, examining its efficacy in enhancing patient outcomes, promoting healthcare equity, and reshaping the relationship between doctors and their patients.
Additionally, the article discusses the structural challenges faced by healthcare providers in implementing this approach, including financial constraints, regulatory hurdles, and the need for institutional support. It also highlights the role of technology in facilitating the "Green Doctor" model, particularly through the use of telemedicine, digital health platforms, and AI-driven diagnostics, which allow doctors to extend care to underserved populations while maintaining a patient-centered focus. Finally, the article assesses the future of the "Green Doctor" initiative in the context of evolving global healthcare challenges, offering insights into how it could serve as a sustainable model for ethical healthcare in the 21st century.
Downloads
1. Richie, C. (Ed.). (2024). Environmental Bioethics: Theory and Practice for Environmentally Sustainable Health Care. Taylor & Francis.
2. Crowley, R. A., & Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2016). Climate change and health: a position paper of the American College of Physicians. Annals of internal medicine, 164(9), 608-610.
3. Kirk, A., Grenfell, P., & Murage, P. (2021). A Planetary Health Perspective to Decarbonising Public Hospitals in Ireland: A Health Policy Report. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 5(1), em0067-em0067.
4. Lichter, K. E., Anderson, J., Sim, A. J., Baniel, C. C., Thiel, C. L., Chuter, R., ... & Mohamad, O. (2022). Transitioning to environmentally sustainable, climate-smart radiation oncology care. International Journal of Radiation Oncology* Biology* Physics, 113(5), 915-924.
5. Philipsborn, R. P., Cowenhoven, J., Bole, A., Balk, S. J., & Bernstein, A. (2021). A pediatrician's guide to climate change-informed primary care. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 51(6), 101027.
6. Coren, E., & Safer, D. L. (2020). Solutions stories: An innovative strategy for managing negative physical and mental health impacts from extreme weather events. Climate Change, Hazards and Adaptation Options: Handling the Impacts of a Changing Climate, 441-462.
7. Parker, C. L., Wellbery, C. E., & Mueller, M. (2019). The changing climate: managing health impacts. American family physician, 100(10), 618-626.
8. Houziel, C., Prothon, E., & Trinh-Duc, A. (2023). Carbon footprint of general practice: Retrospective case study of GP offices in a rural department of France. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 14, 100273.
9. Ochrietor, J. D., & Kuehner, M. SOARS, a highlight of UNF Research Week, is organized and spon-sored by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) with graduate projects sponsored by the Graduate School. In this third year as a virtual event, SOARS continues to serve as a platform for highlighting research activities of our undergraduate and graduate students.
10. Green, J. L. (1997). Charity to the poor in medieval Spain: the Catalan diocese of Girona, 1180-1285. University of California, Los Angeles.
11. Green, J. L. (1997). Charity to the poor in medieval Spain: the Catalan diocese of Girona, 1180-1285. University of California, Los Angeles.
12. COUNCIL, U. B. T. Agenda of the 209th Council Session Destination: 209th Council Session Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel. World Health, 9, 71st.
13. Green, P. P. (2016). The impact of internationalization on the regionalization of higher education in the English Speaking Caribbean: a case study of The University of the West Indies. University of Toronto (Canada).
14. Lewis, H. (2016). What are the barriers to the use of behaviour change techniques in the UK water sector. Kings College London.
15. Sdei, A. (2015). Climate change adaptation of retrofitted social housing in the South-East of England (Doctoral dissertation, University of Brighton).
16. Green, S. P. (2008). African American nursing students' perceptions of the NCLEX-RN© examination experience (Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland, Baltimore County).
17. Wittoeck, J. (2023). We Need to Talk About the C-Word (Doctoral dissertation, Ghent University).
18. Sdei, A. (2015). Climate change adaptation of retrofitted social housing in the South-East of England (Doctoral dissertation, University of Brighton).
19. Green, R. K. (1998). A strategy for preaching to contemporary audiences. Fuller Theological Seminary, Doctor of Ministry Program.
20. Green, K. P. (1994). Costs of compliance with environmental regulations: a case-study of rule 1501 compliance efforts at five Hughes Aircraft Company business units. University of California, Los Angeles
21. Alves, W. F. Fuel Policy Impacts on the Community: Pollards Hills and East Mitcham (Doctoral dissertation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute).
22. Knox, P. G. (1974). The passage of Bill 39: reform and repression in British Columbias labour policy (Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia).
23. MUNDIAL, A. M. Título: Agenda de la 209ª Sesión del Consejo Destinación: 209ª Sesión del Consejo Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel Riga, Letonia 26 al 28 de abril de 2018.
24. Hecht, P. (2014). Weed Land: Inside America's Marijuana Epicenter and How Pot Went Legit. Univ of California Press.
25. Ochrietor, J. D., & Kuehner, M. SOARS, a highlight of UNF Research Week, is organized and spon-sored by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) with graduate projects sponsored by the Graduate School. In this third year as a virtual event, SOARS continues to serve as a platform for highlighting research activities of our undergraduate and graduate students.
26. Krotz, L. (2008). The uncertain business of doing good: Outsiders in Africa. Univ. of Manitoba Press.
27. Green, J. L. (1997). Charity to the poor in medieval Spain: the Catalan diocese of Girona, 1180-1285. University of California, Los Angeles.
28. Green, D. L. (2004). Power games: The political use of solar technology in northern Thailand. University of California, Berkeley.
29. COUNCIL, U. B. T. Agenda of the 209th Council Session Destination: 209th Council Session Radisson Blu Latvija Hotel. World Health, 9, 71st.
30. Green, P. P. (2016). The impact of internationalization on the regionalization of higher education in the English Speaking Caribbean: a case study of The University of the West Indies. University of Toronto (Canada).
31. Lewis, H. (2016). What are the barriers to the use of behaviour change techniques in the UK water sector. Kings College London.
32. Houziel, C., Prothon, E., & Trinh-Duc, A. (2023). Carbon footprint of general practice: Retrospective case study of GP offices in a rural department of France. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 14, 100273.
33. Richie, C. (Ed.). (2024). Environmental Bioethics: Theory and Practice for Environmentally Sustainable Health Care. Taylor & Francis.
34. Franklin, B. Climate Change and the Professional Obligation to Socialize Physicians and Trainees into an Environmentally Sustainable Medical Culture. AACAP News, 12, 152.
35. Franklin, B. Climate Change and the Professional Obligation to Socialize Physicians and Trainees into an Environmentally Sustainable Medical Culture. AACAP News, 12, 152.
36. Richie, C. (2020). Guest editorial: sustainability and bioethics: where we have been, where we are, where we are going. The New Bioethics, 26(2), 82-90.
37. Wortzel, J. R., Guerrero, A. P., Aggarwal, R., Coverdale, J., & Brenner, A. M. (2022). Climate Change and the Professional Obligation to Socialize Physicians and Trainees into an Environmentally Sustainable Medical Culture. Academic Psychiatry, 46(5), 556-561.
38. Duindam, D. What actions can I take as a physiotherapist to reduce my professions ecological footprint the most efficiently?.
39. Wicklum, S. C., Nuique, K., Kelly, M. A., Nesbitt, C. C., Zhang, J. J., & Svrcek, C. P. (2023). Greening Family Medicine clinic operations and clinical care, where do we start? A scoping review of toolkits and aids. Family Practice, 40(3), 473-485.
40. Bush, T., Jensen, W. A., & Katsumoto, T. R. (2022). US medical organizations and climate change advocacy: a review of public facing websites. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1950.
41. Duindam, D. (2022). Transitioning to sustainable healthcare: Decarbonisation challenges and opportunities for Australian health clinics. Available at SSRN 4225651.
42. Duindam, D. (2022). Transitioning to sustainable healthcare: decarbonising healthcare clinics, a literature review. Challenges, 13(2), 68.
43. Lichter, K. E., Anderson, J., Sim, A. J., Baniel, C. C., Thiel, C. L., Chuter, R., ... & Mohamad, O. (2022). Transitioning to environmentally sustainable, climate-smart radiation oncology care. International Journal of Radiation Oncology* Biology* Physics, 113(5), 915-924.
44. Kirk, A., Grenfell, P., & Murage, P. (2021). A Planetary Health Perspective to Decarbonising Public Hospitals in Ireland: A Health Policy Report. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 5(1), em0067-em0067.
45. Crowley, R. A., & Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2016). Climate change and health: a position paper of the American College of Physicians. Annals of internal medicine, 164(9), 608-610.
46. Radaelli, G., Currie, G., Frattini, F., & Lettieri, E. (2017). T he R ole of M anagers in E nacting T wo‐S tep I nstitutional W ork for R adical I nnovation in P rofessional O rganizations. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 34(4), 450-470.
47. Philipsborn, R. P., Cowenhoven, J., Bole, A., Balk, S. J., & Bernstein, A. (2021). A pediatrician's guide to climate change-informed primary care. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 51(6), 101027.
48. Schachtel, A., & Boos, M. D. (2019). Pediatric dermatology and climate change: An argument for the pediatric subspecialist as public health advocate. Pediatric dermatology, 36(4), 564-566.
49. Nicolet, J., Mueller, Y., Paruta, P., Boucher, J., & Senn, N. (2022). What is the carbon footprint of primary care practices? A retrospective life-cycle analysis in Switzerland. Environmental Health, 21, 1-10.
50. Jeng, B. H., Lum, F., & Chan, R. P. (2023). Further Reflections on Sustainability in Ophthalmology. JAMA ophthalmology, 141(9), 870-871.
51. Mary-Anne, O., Ogbonna, V. I., Agiri, U. A., Onyeaghala, C., Abaate, T. J., Osi, C. U., ... & Buowari, D. Y. Report on a Webinar on Research Collaborations in Nigeria. World Medical Association Officers, Chairpersons and Officials.
52. Coren, E., & Safer, D. L. (2020). Solutions stories: An innovative strategy for managing negative physical and mental health impacts from extreme weather events. Climate Change, Hazards and Adaptation Options: Handling the Impacts of a Changing Climate, 441-462.
Copyright (c) 2024 Prof. Reza Ghalamghash
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
