Realizing Universal Health Care

Our technical exam for DOH asked about the critical policy issues that we need to address in order to realize universal health care. Many of our #HealthXPH friends are either into public health and therefore well-versed with universal health care or involved with crafting health policy. So let’s discuss your view points:

T1. What critical policy issues need to be addressed in order to realize universal health care?

In Central Visayas, we have one or two tertiary level hospitals and the rest of the hospitals primary or secondary level. Our DOH Regional Office provided version 2 of our Central Visayas Health Referral System Manual, and implements a real-time electronic referral system with a centralized DOH7 emergency healthline patient navigation for those not yet in a health facility and in need of healthcare access.

T2. What evidence-based strategy can we propose to address these critical policy issues to realize universal health care?

The DOH also instituted balanced scorecards for all DOH hospitals. This is good way to encourage good governance and to promote meritocracy among government employees. We need metrics to tell us if we are doing things right or not. After all, our real bosses are the patients we serve.

T3. What are good success indicators for universal health care?

Central Visayas Regional Unified Health Research Agenda

Today, researchers from member organizations of the Central Visayas Consortium for Health Research and Development (CVCHRD) and representatives of special populations and local government units gathered together to identify the research priorities for health, assisted by the Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO).

The methodology was fairly simple using three (3) meta cards for each participant to suggest the top priority research topics for health, then sharing with a small group to group together topics that we agreed on and those that could be grouped together.  During the plenary, all the research topics suggested by the participants, including those grouped together, were presented for scoring.  

There were fifteen (15) criteria suggested by the WHO that the participants chose from until a consensus was arrived at.  The group chose five (5) criteria: feasibility/practicality, potential for policy impact, equity, capacity-building potential and innovation.

From there, each research topic was scored according to the five (5) criteria and ranked until we had come up with the top ten (10) research topics according to weighted criteria scores. 

There you have it, top ten health research priorities for the region!

THORNS hiding the ROSE

From Facebook Memories, this was a photo from 3 years ago when Atty Rey Cris Panugaling and I were still doing our afternoon runs of SOTTO LIVE.  We were mainstay hosts of everyday programs and these were helping us cope with daily challenges during the COVID19 pandemic.

We learn to be thankful for the many blessings we have received and stop looking out for things we don't have.

GOD knows what we need long before we realize to ask him.  When it was time for Kenneth to leave because he received an unexpected golden opportunity, Craches was there with nothing else to do so she signed up to work for me again.  When someone informs you they are leaving for greener pastures, you realize that is the reason why someone else applied for a similar position - to fill in the void that would be created, so that transition would not be so difficult. PROVIDENCE.

Nobody is perfect.  It is our flaws that give us character.  

No matter the thorns that prick us whenever we try to get close, understand that the difficult life experiences caused those thorns to grow in order to protect oneself and in order for us to survive.  

Oftentimes, we have a need to be right.  We have a need to express what we truly think and what we truly feel inside, to be true to ourselves, but we have to consider that in so doing, we might be hurting others and alienating them.  We allow OUR thorns to grow so that nobody would be able to see the beautiful rose inside because they are too wary of the thorns.  We keep others at arms' length so that they don't get too close.  We forget that sometimes it is better to be kind, that loving involves humility and letting other people in.

But we keep ourselves locked up because we don't want to be dependent on others.  We want everything to be neat and tidy.  We need to be in control.  When we keep saying NO or other words that sting just as much, soon they might just give up, thinking the rose is not worth getting pricked by thorns....

Digital Transformation For Health

As the point person assigned to lead digital transformation in our health facility, I would like to discuss this to learn more about what is currently available and how this concept is applied to health.  Admittedly not an expert on the topic, I started searching for definitions and how different concepts are related to one another.

Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new business processes, culture and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements.

    Digitization is the process of converting information from analog to digital.

    Digitalization is using digital data to simplify how you work.

    Digital transformation adds value to every customer interaction.

Benefits of digital transformation include increased efficiency, greater business agility and unlocking of new value for employees, customers and shareholders.

Also, Melissa Kress of csnews.com share about the Three Rs of digital transformation that having the right people, the right process and the right systems in place spells success.

Starting 2020, Hospital Statistical Reports were submitted through the Online Health Facility Statistical Reporting System (OHFSRS).

In 2021, Dr Eric Tayag promoted telemedicine as a game changer in the pandemic, since digital health could reduce the cost of health services.

For 2023, the Department of Health has mandated the digitalization of eleven (11) areas of hospital operations to be included in their hospital balanced score cards.  This includes use of hospital information systems, electronic health records, teleconsultation, and electronic patient navigation.

T1.  Cite examples of how digital transformation is applied for health in your area.

T2.  What are the barriers to digital transformation for health?

T3.  What do you think are the enabling factors for implementation of digital transformation for health?

Collaborative Research is the way to go

This last week, I was a delegate of the 8th Central Visayas Health Research and Innovation Conference at the Siquijor State College. 

It is my personal pride to note that the health facility I belong to was represented this year not just by delegates from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Family Medicine but also delegates from the Nutrition and Dietetics Services, Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Psychiatry, and the Department of General Surgery.

During the conference, I was asked to judge the Professional Experimental category and was delighted to know that agriculturists were doing research.  This is important for food security!

Digital Transformation

Last April 20, 2023 the top management of the Southern Philippines Medical Center benchmarked with our hospital regarding the hospital information system, considering we employ a third party provider while supplementing the standard systems with parallel software programs where it is needed.

The feedback from the hospital tour described our hospital as "amazing".

World Health Worker Week 2023

Last March 2023, our hospital celebrated World Social Work Day 2023 where we appreciated the role of the medical social worker in "Respecting Diversity through Joint Social Action".  Checking the DOH Health Calendar 2023, I realized that we celebrate World Health Worker Week from April 3-7, 2023 with the theme INVEST IN HEALTH WORKERS.

In our hospital, our Wellness and Occupational Health Clinic provides annual diagnostic tests for employees free of charge, for early detection of diseases to prevent catastrophic illnesses.  There is also the Shape Up Live Long program, a collaboration between Wellness Clinic, Nutrition and Dietetics, Rehabilitation Medicine and Psychiatry to assist obese employees who need to lose weight and improve their metabolic health.

T1.  What advocacies and programs show investment in health workers?

The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that 

"progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) requires strong health systems and health workers who are educated and empowered to provide the health services that meet population health needs." 

The COVID-19 pandemic response spotlighted the unique skills and compassionate service of Filipino nurses in ICUs, emergency rooms, wards and immunization activities in foreign hospitals, giving momentum once again to the Philippine "brain drain" phenomenon pushing the migration of highly skilled health workers from the country to greener pastures abroad.

T2.  What incentives can the government offer for healthcare workforce retention?

Employees work better if their work is appreciated. So it's nice to let health workers know how their work impacts health service delivery.

T3.  What message do you want to send to the health workers in your locality?