Social Responsability

Climate change can affect health in many ways. Extreme heat, floods, severe storms and other environmental events can directly affect individuals while also disrupting transportation, healthcare services and access to medical care.

These effects are not distributed equally. Older adults, people living with chronic diseases and individuals facing social or environmental vulnerability may be particularly affected during extreme events.

For My Brazilian Doctor, this creates an important connection between social responsibility, climate and healthcare access.

Telemedicine cannot solve the broader health consequences of climate change. It can, however, provide an additional way of maintaining access to appropriate medical care while avoiding unnecessary journeys when a physical consultation is not required.

Same Day Appointment

Easy Access

Instant Digital Prescription Note

Comprehensive Support

Maintaining access to healthcare during extreme events

One of the most important contributions of telemedicine is its ability to provide medical access without requiring patients to travel to a healthcare facility.

During a routine consultation, this may simply mean convenience. During an extreme weather event, the same characteristic can become considerably more important.

Heat waves, flooding and severe storms may make travelling difficult, undesirable or unsafe. Transport systems can be disrupted and patients who are particularly vulnerable to environmental conditions may benefit from avoiding unnecessary exposure.

During periods of extreme heat, for example, an older person or someone living with certain chronic health conditions may face additional exposure simply by travelling across a city to obtain medical advice, a prescription or follow-up care.

When clinically appropriate, telemedicine can provide access to medical assessment, advice, prescriptions, laboratory requests and follow-up without this journey.

Importantly, remote healthcare has limits. Telemedicine does not replace physical examination, emergency services or hospital care when these are necessary. Part of responsible telemedicine is recognising when remote management is appropriate and when a patient should instead receive face-to-face or emergency assessment.



Providing different routes into healthcare can therefore contribute to the resilience of health services during periods of environmental disruption.

Avoiding unnecessary travel and resource use

There is also an environmental dimension to digital healthcare.

Healthcare delivery requires transportation, buildings, energy, equipment, supplies and other resources. Hospitals and other high-intensity healthcare environments are particularly resource-intensive.

When a medical problem can safely be managed remotely, telemedicine may avoid a journey to and from a healthcare facility and help direct patients toward the level of care that they actually require.

This is particularly relevant in large Brazilian cities, where a relatively short medical appointment can involve considerable travel time.

The objective is not to suggest that virtual healthcare is inherently environmentally neutral or that it should replace face-to-face medicine.

Rather, our principle is straightforward:

When physical examination or intervention is necessary, patients should receive in-person care. When it is not, avoiding an unnecessary journey can benefit both the patient and the more efficient use of healthcare resources.

Our Climate & Health initiative

As part of its social responsibility activities, My Brazilian Doctor supports initiatives related to climate and health in Brazil, with particular attention to extreme heat, vulnerable populations and the role of Primary Health Care.

This work is connected to the research and educational activities of Dr Fábio Luiz Vieira, Family and Community Physician and founder of My Brazilian Doctor.

His work in this field focuses particularly on understanding the health effects of heat waves in Brazil and translating this knowledge into greater awareness and preparedness among healthcare professionals.

The initiative has three complementary areas:

Research — contributing to the evidence concerning extreme heat and health outcomes in Brazil.

Education — developing educational activities to help healthcare professionals recognise heat-related risks and vulnerable patients.

Preparedness — promoting greater awareness of how Primary Health Care can anticipate and respond to periods of extreme heat.

Research on heat waves and mortality in Brazil

An important part of this work is producing evidence about the health consequences of extreme heat in the Brazilian population.

Dr Vieira investigated excess mortality during a heat wave affecting Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Roraima in February 2024.

The study identified a statistically significant increase in mortality during the extreme heat event, demonstrating how even a relatively short period of unusually high temperatures can have measurable consequences for population health.

The research was published in the Revista Técnico-Científica CEJAM:

Vieira FL. Excesso de Mortalidade por Múltiplas Causas Durante Onda de Calor em Estados Brasileiros. Rev. Tec. Cient. CEJAM. 2026;5:e202650058.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59229/2764-9806.RTCC.e202650058



The study forms part of broader work examining the relationship between extreme temperatures, mortality and vulnerability in Brazil.

Open data and scientific transparency

We believe that research intended to contribute to public health should, whenever possible, also contribute to the wider scientific community.

The data associated with the Brazilian heat-wave mortality research have therefore been made publicly available through Zenodo, providing researchers and other interested professionals with access to the research dataset.

Public availability of research data supports transparency, reproducibility and future investigation into the health consequences of extreme temperatures.



Research dataset:
https://zenodo.org/records/22148457

Education and protecting vulnerable populations

Evidence becomes more valuable when it can be translated into practical healthcare.

For this reason, another component of our Climate & Health initiative is professional education and awareness about extreme heat, particularly within Primary Health Care.

Healthcare professionals can play an important role before and during heat waves by identifying patients who may be particularly vulnerable and communicating appropriate preventive measures.

Educational activities include topics such as identifying people at increased risk during heat waves; recognising heat-related illness and warning signs; understanding how age, chronic diseases, medications and social circumstances can influence vulnerability; communicating practical preventive measures; and incorporating extreme-heat preparedness into Primary Health Care.



Particular attention is given to older adults and other vulnerable populations, for whom physiological vulnerability may interact with chronic disease, medication use, reduced mobility, social isolation and housing conditions during periods of extreme heat.

From research to practical healthcare

Our involvement in climate and health reflects a broader understanding of social responsibility.

Research can help identify emerging health risks.

Education can help healthcare professionals recognise and respond to those risks.

Primary Health Care can help identify vulnerable individuals before an extreme event occurs.

And telemedicine can provide an additional route to healthcare when environmental conditions make unnecessary travel difficult or undesirable.



These are complementary approaches rather than substitutes for conventional healthcare.

For My Brazilian Doctor, the objective is practical: to use our experience in telemedicine and Primary Health Care while supporting greater awareness and preparedness for emerging health challenges in Brazil.

About Dr Fábio Vieira

Dr Fábio Luiz Vieira is a Brazilian Family and Community Physician and the founder of My Brazilian Doctor.

His professional and academic interests include Primary Health Care, digital health, telemedicine and the health impacts of climate change. His work in climate and health has a particular focus on extreme heat, heat-related mortality and vulnerable populations in Brazil.

His activities in this field include scientific research, publication of open research data, professional education and initiatives to increase awareness of the health consequences of heat waves.

Learn more:
[Dr Fábio Vieira – Professional Profile]
[Climate & Health Research]
[Publications and Research]

Our commitment

Social responsibility in healthcare is not separate from clinical practice. It includes considering who can access healthcare, how that care is delivered, how healthcare resources are used and how health services respond to emerging risks.

For My Brazilian Doctor, our work in climate and health is one expression of that responsibility.

By combining telemedicine, Primary Health Care, research and professional education, we aim to contribute to healthcare that is accessible, responsible and increasingly prepared for the health challenges associated with a changing climate.

Better access. Responsible healthcare. Greater preparedness.