Who's at Risk in a Changing Climate Mapping Electricity-Dependent Patient Populations in a Coastal City

The authors used geographic information systems to analyze the relationship between patients who use a nebulizer (which is electricity-dependent) and census block data that determined areas in and around Boston at risk for flooding during hurricanes. They found that of 2,101 patients with nebulizer prescriptions, 24.8% lived in a hurricane flood zone, demonstrating how hospitals can assess the potential effect of environmental hazards on electricity-dependent patients using publicly available data.