Climate Change, Healthcare, and Surgery: An Investigation of the Technology Acceptance Dynamics Among European Surgeons

The relationship between climate change (CC) and healthcare is twofold. On one hand, the effects of CC impact the rise and worsening of several diseases and the need for medical and surgical interventions, especially when extreme weather events occur. On the other hand, the healthcare ecosystem contributes to increasing CC due to the high carbon footprint of its operations, especially in the operating theater. New technologies offer promising pathways for creating sound solutions to improve eco-friendly surgical practices. However, realizing their potential depends on surgeons' willingness to adopt these innovations and on healthcare institutions' ability to integrate them into clinical routines. This study presents a survey conducted among 263 surgeons working in 18 countries in the European Union, following the technology acceptance model framework. Results reveal the relevance of the perceived usefulness and ease of use in implementing the willingness to adopt and, lastly, the effective use of new eco-friendly surgical solutions. New paradigms on the concept of performance and the required competencies and guidelines arise, along with the role of female surgical leaders in adopting new greener surgical solutions aimed at reducing CC.