Ann Searight Christiano Co-Authors Commentary on Communicating the Effects of Climate Change to Patients

Ann Searight Christiano, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Center for Public Interest Communications director, is the co-author of the commentary “When Climate Change Shows Up in the Exam Room” published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine on Dec. 13, 2023.

Christiano, Joanna Katzman and Stefan Wheat focus on clinicians as one of the most trusted sources of climate information and their opportunity to communicate the health-related effects of climate change to their patients.

According to the authors, “It is important for clinicians to understand the most beneficial techniques to use when communicating with patients who may need more information regarding climate change and extreme weather events. These include meeting patients where they are, providing patient education, and telling authentic stories.”

They write, “Doctors and other health professionals have to explain climate change in ways that are genuine, meaningful, and useful to their patients, without trying to get them to change how they see the world but that they have a head start. It is time that clinicians prioritize climate and health communication so patients can better plan for extreme weather events and learn to identify and manage climate-health symptoms and illnesses.”

Posted: December 19, 2023
Category: Center for Public Interest Communications, College News, Science Communication News
Tagged as: Ann Searight Christiano, Center for Public Interest Communications, Climate Change and Health, Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine