Element

Example

Existing evidence

Estimates of the effects of electric fans currently rely on retrospective observational research (case‐control studies). This Cochrane review did not find any randomised trials or other prospective comparisons of electric fans versus no fans.

Population

Adults of any age with or without co‐morbidity who are likely to be representative of general population, with a particular focus on participants aged 65 years or older, people in residential or care homes; who are exposed to a naturally occurring heatwave.

Intervention

Electric fan most suitable or practical for the setting (e.g. window, ceiling etc).

Comparison

Routine care.

Outcomes

Use of healthcare services (including phone calls to advice lines, visits to health website, attendance at primary care, emergency department visits)

Hospitalisation (due to heat related illness)

Hospitalisation (due to any cause)

Death (due to heat related illness

Death (from any cause)

Self‐reported comfort

Timing

During the heatwave

Study design

Randomised trial, possibly a cluster trial with randomisation of specific settings (e.g. care homes) or areas (e.g. small geographic regions).

Route

Mechanism

Convection

When air or water passes over the skin

Conduction

Contact with cooler objects on the skin

Radiation

Electromagnetic waves in the form of infrared rays

Sweating

Heat is released through the evaporation of sweat

Organisation

Website

Health Canada

www.hc‐sc.gc.ca/index‐eng.php

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

www.ipcc.ch

World Health Organization

www.who.int/en

World Meteorological Organization

www.wmo.int

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov

Health Protection Agency

www.hpa.org.uk

British Columbia Centre for Disease Control

http://www.bccdc.ca/default.htm

Pacific Institute for Climate Research

http://www.pics.uvic.ca/

Environmental Protection Agency

http://www.epa.gov/

National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health

http://ncceh.ca/