The level of knowledge of family doctors on climate change

Abstract Currently, the question is no longer if the climate is changing because the magnitude and speed of climate change, but it is a fact confirmed by many teams of specialists. It has become a hotly debated topic for politicians, businessmen, environmentalists, society and media. We designed a pilot study using a questionnaire in order to identify the level of knowledge, skills and practices of family physicians regarding the impact of their work on the environment and climate change. The questionnaire included 42 items regarding socio-demographic data, doctors’ knowledge regarding climate change, global warming, heatwave, thermal stress, the activity performed by doctors during the heat wave and the information received by doctors about heatwave periods. The research results confirm the hypothesis that doctors have some knowledge about the phenomenon of climate change, but there are some gaps and misunderstandings of the cause and effect of the phenomenon, as well as the methods to combat them. There is a need for additional training and guidance of physicians on the relationship between climate change, global warming and population health.