January 30, 2021 — Experts expounded on the current state of telehealth in the Philippines and the barriers and opportunities to improve the delivery of virtual care at the macro, meso, and micro settings during the “UP Manila Telehealth Forum: Innovations in Education, Policy, and Practice” on December 3, 2021.
Macro level
With guidelines released by the DOH, DILG, and PhilHealth, Health Undersecretary Dr. Enrique Tayag enumerated the rules for the implementation of telemedicine technologies in the local government units for consultation, patient monitoring, requirements for the practice of telemedicine, and organization of LGU telemedicine services.
Alternately, Dr. Meredith del Pilar-Labarda, School of Health Sciences Leyte professor shared their study finding that the national-level telehealth policy is not felt by the communities. “There is a massive need to upgrade the digital network infrastructure to support telehealth. There have been some efforts by the province to provide telehealth, but the rollout and scale are slow.”
Dr. Labarda, also the Social Innovation in Health Initiatives Project Leader, presented the following problems of telehealth interventions in rural settings based on an ongoing study of telehealth implementation at the LGU level: (1) new patients are not familiar with telehealth, (2) patients still prefer in-person examination in cases of severe symptoms, (3) importance of integrating private and public practitioners into the system, (3) maximizing post-residency doctors during return service, and (5) phased transition to telehealth platforms using telehealth hubs.
From the financing perspective, Dr. Carlo Irwin A. Panelo, a health economist and UPCM professor said that mainstreaming telehealth in the Philippines requires developing appropriate support packages for the recipients of telehealth. Evaluating its cost-effectiveness and the health outcomes are equally important considerations.
As telehealth financing in the Philippines draws from various mandates such as those of the Universal Health Care Act, DOH, and PhilHealth, he sees that “PhilHealth [must] progressively include telehealth in the benefit coverage because once telehealth is compensated through reimbursements, this will not only signal providers to invest as there is a steady source for the service, it also encourages the population to seek medical care without delay.
Meso level
Dr. Esther Saguil presented the telemedicine initiatives at the Philippine General Hospital to cope with the pandemic restrictions. Among these were the Online Consultation Request and Appointment System (OCRA), the appointment portal for patients where consultations are also done and recorded; Registration of Admission and Discharges (RADISH ) which facilitates the seamless generation of documentation and prescriptions needed in telemedicine consultations; OPD Telemedicine Hub, previously a conference room that now holds 21 telemedicine-capable sets of computers; and the Bayanihan Na! Operations Center (BNOC) that was repurposed as a triaging and information site.
Asst. Professors Charlemaine Deanne Perez and Francis Lois Ngo shared the UP Manila Telehealth Initiatives from the College of Allied Medical Professions and College of Pharmacy, respectively. Dr. Jenniffer Paguio discussed a two-phase research protocol that focuses on the continuity of care and teleconsultation pathways in PGH.
Micro level
To define quality in and the barriers to achieving telehealth, a multidisciplinary panel shared their experiences and insights in telehealth practice platforms. The panel was composed of Ma. Khrizalyn Faye Quintin-Gutierrez from PGH, Raiza Mariae Ruiz from CAMP, Dr. Yolanda Robles from College of Pharmacy, and Ma. Angela Mabale fromCollege of Nursing.
Dr. Jay T. Dalet presented the results and recommendation of the roundtable discussions conducted by the committee with the telehealth providers of PGH that could move telehealth forward in different professions. Dr. Nemuel Fajutagana on the topic, “Educating Health Professionals on Telehealth” explained the shift in the educational system with teaching-learning strategies on training future health professionals in providing telehealth services.
Anne Marie D. Alto
Featured in the UP Manila Healthscape (Special COVID-19 Issue No. 35, January 2022)
