Sustainability in diabetes care: building an environment for change

Abstract

Sustainability is increasing with regard to its recognition and consideration in healthcare – from a policy level through to clinical practice. The implications for the environment and the healthcare system make the understanding of what sustainability means and how best to achieve it all the more important. The healthcare considerations have generally been broad, covering healthcare as a whole, but more interest in grassroots change and specialty-specific understanding is developing. This article aims to highlight some of the key concepts when discussing sustainability, with a specific focus on the field of diabetes and clinical care. It additionally provides possible considerations about how to develop sustainable practice and diabetes care-specific considerations.