PATIENT EDUCATION

Patient education is an incredibly important part of environmental physiotherapy practice. As environmental change continues to exacerbate around the world, people will have to gain a better understanding of how the environment will affect personal, community, and public health. Building on this understanding, it is also critical to educate present and future patients about the many different ways that sustainable lifestyle and health choices can be beneficial for their personal health, society, and the environment alike. Finally, patient education should also be considered as another element increasing nature-connectedness among people, in conjunction with other approaches to environmental physiotherapy practice, like nature-based therapies. This is because nature-connectedness is proven to enhance pro-environmental behaviors and social connectedness, thus, in turn maximizing health benefits through a wide variety of pathways.

On this page, you will find a growing range of resources related to patient education in the context of environmental physiotherapy. If there is anything you feel could be improved, added, or updated, please do not hesitate to get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of this page.

EPIC POSTER: WHY PHYSIOTHERAPY IS GOOD FOR YOU AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Throughout 2021, and in close collaboration with the EPA, a team from our German partner organisation the Health for Future physiotherapy working group – Physios for Planetary Health (PPG) has developed a poster that highlights the co-benefits that physiotherapy has for personal health and the environment. You can download the poster in different formats below, hang the posters anywhere in your clinic and if you can, share a photo on your social media channels by tagging the Environmental Physiotherapy Association using #EnviroPT.

The poster contains a QR code link that will take you to an additional page containing  supporting information and resources for each point made on the poster.

We would love your help to translate the poster into as many other languages as possible, and adapt it to as many different regional contexts as possible. If this sounds like something you would like to get involved in, please get in touch using the contact form at the bottom of this page.

While climate change is a big threat to health, implementing solutions to address climate change presents a huge opportunity to promote better health and protect people from climate-sensitive diseases. Communicating the health risks of climate change and the health benefits of climate solutions is both necessary and helpful. Health professionals have a unique role in helping their communities understand climate change, protect themselves, and realize the health benefits of climate solutions. This toolkit aims to help health professionals effectively communicate about climate change and health. Free download here.

Climate Outreach (n.d.) The #Talking climate handbook. How to have conversations about climate change in your daily life. By Climate Outreach and EIT Climate-KIC. https://climateoutreach.org/reports/how-to-have-a-climate-change-conversation-talking-climate/ 

Page header image Photo by Wade Lambert on Unsplash

All poster art by miu creative : Illustration-based design