Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Model to Evaluate Patient Care Emissions
Client Challenge
A global pharmaceutical company partnered with OnePointFive to quantify the emissions impact of digital versus non-digital healthcare pathways for patients across two key global markets. The objective was to assess whether digital solutions could reduce emissions by minimizing in-person care, while considering accessibility, social equity, and data privacy. This required a credible emissions analysis across multiple care scenarios to inform both the company’s climate and digital strategies.
OPF’s Solution
Built Excel-based Life Cycle Assessment model for comparative analysis
OnePointFive developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model to quantify the carbon emissions and trade-offs between digital versus traditional healthcare delivery for a chronic illness. We assessed 6 distinct care pathways in two countries, comparing the environmental impacts of digital vs. in-person care, with a focus on reducing emissions without compromising patient access or care quality.
(Numbers and content have been modified, anonymized, or abstracted to protect sensitive information and ensure client confidentiality.)
Identified emissions hotspots and analyzed environmental impacts
Using this LCA model, we identified emissions hotspots across the patient care delivery process and quantified the potential emissions reductions that digital health solutions could provide. This helped the company better understand market-level processes and differences, and evaluate potential avoided emissions in local markets and at scale.
Synthesized insights for corporate strategy
OnePointFive consolidated findings into a position paper, serving as a blueprint for further environmental research and studies. The paper highlighted key decarbonization opportunities for the pharmaceutical company’s global healthcare strategy, identified areas where improved data would benefit the company, and outlined how to consider social and ethical elements when applying recommendations at a global scale.
(Numbers and content have been modified, anonymized, or abstracted to protect sensitive information and ensure client confidentiality.)
Key Outcomes
✅ Identified ~500 million kg CO2e in avoided emissions potential tied to implementing the company’s digital healthcare solutions at scale in key markets.
✅ Identified in-person physician visits as a hotspot driving ~60% and ~45% of emissions in Country 1 and Country 2, respectively, enabling the company to focus on specific, targeted reduction strategies
✅ Developed 30+ page position paper detailing decarbonization insights, areas for future study, and study limitations to inform the pharmaceutical company’s global corporate sustainability strategy.
✅ Integrated 25+ environmental, social and ethical research findings into position paper
✅ Developed blueprint to scale the initial LCA study across 5+ global healthcare markets and product design processes.
