The GreenClinic pilot: educational intervention for environmentally sustainable general practice

Background: GreenClinic was a pilot educational program developed by the Australian Conservation Foundation and Doctors for the Environment Australia. The program ran between October 2006 and March 2007 with the aim of informing and encouraging general practitioners to employ more environmentally sustainable practices in their clinics. Methods: Twenty GPs attended an education meeting at the launch of GreenClinic in Melbourne in October 2006; 12 registered with the program and seven followed it to completion. An audit was undertaken before and after the intervention to determine the usual water and energy consumption and waste disposal practices of the participating clinics, and how these changed after the program. Results: This evaluation suggested that GPs who participated in an environmental educational initiative were able to make changes toward sustainability in their practices. Discussion: There are, potential benefits to be gained from employing environmental educational interventions more widely in general practice and from evaluating their impact.