Concerns for practicing environmental health issues among doctors and patients in Bangladesh Dr. Sanchoy Kumar Chanda Bangladesh

Objectives: to explore doctor’s attitude towards patient regarding environmental education to examine the awareness level of patients about environmental issues, its impact on health, sources of information including doctors to examine patient’s desire for more environmental education from doctors

Method: Cross-sectional data had been obtained from a face-to-face interview by using a structured questionnaire with patients (n=514) and doctors (n=34) in five hospitals, ten clinics and ten garment factories in Dhaka Environmental issues, source of information, amount of education received from their doctors were answered by patients and doctors were questioned about conveying message about environmental impacts to the patients

Results: Almost all patients expressed high level of concern for environmental issues 21% of patients mentioned doctors as source of environmental information while 24% of doctors said that they really talk about environmental pollution and its impact

Results…. 63% patient said that they should know more about air and water pollution and food related diseases etc. Patients also expressed concern about inadequate environmental education from their doctors

Results…. 24% of doctors said that they really talk about environmental pollution and its impact 52% of doctors mentioned that they just diagnose the clinical problem and provide treatment

Results…. Reasons for not discussing environmental issues - Time constraint82% - Not part of clinical practice63% - No necessity21% - Will know from other sources20%

Conclusions: There is huge information gap between doctors and patients regarding health impact of environmental pollution and changes where doctors have major responsibility for minimizing the gap