Multidisciplinary consensus of impact and mitigation strategies of climate change on healthcare delivery: a national modified Delphi study
Climate change has been increasingly disrupting healthcare delivery and causing adverse patient outcomes. A reimagination of the entire healthcare system is urgently needed to thrive in changing environments. However, there is no multidisciplinary consensus framework for prioritizing adaptations to ensure care quality. A structured, multidisciplinary consensus process is needed to identify, rank, and build shared understanding of the highest-priority vulnerabilities and strategies to target. The modified Delphi methodology involves iterative, anonymous rating and feedback to achieve structured consensus. We plan to do a national modified Delphi study involving clinicians, patients and caregivers, Indigenous leaders, policymakers, and climate scientists to build consensus on vulnerabilities and strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on healthcare delivery. This collaborative exercise will help guide the infrastructure, fiscal, clinical, and research required for targeted solutions.
We are looking for 3–4 graduate students across different faculties to form a core working group to support the following activities:
- Literature Research: Conduct a comprehensive scoping review on existing health system climate vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies across international frameworks.
- Study Conduct: Assist in protocol development, data collection, analysis, interpretation, manuscript, and knowledge translation
- Stakeholder Engagement & Event Coordination: Research and engage potential participants, and coordinate a hybrid (virtual/in-person) consensus session (first cycle of the Delphi)
Who we are looking for
- A current graduate student studying in any faculty related to this topic, including but not limited to: Public Health, Data Science, Engineering, Public Policy, Business, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and/or Climate/Environmental Sciences.
- A systems thinker who thrives in collaborative, cross-disciplinary team environments.
- Possess strong written communication, organization, and data analysis skills.
Minimum commitment is 30 hours over July 2026 to July 2027. Hourly pay is $30/h.
How to Apply
Please email Dr. Janny Ke (janny.ke@ubc.ca) by July 1, 2026 with your CV and a brief expression of interest, including how your experiences fits into this work, prior research experiences, and vision.
More information about our research: adaptlab.med.ubc.ca
Funding source
UBC Climate Solutions Research Collective Climate Catalyst Award – Knowledge Translation Stream