OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of a selected population of patients on herbal dietary supplements (HDS).
METHOD: Methodological triangulation was used to generate a conceptual framework on HDS KAP. A survey of 175 patients was performed to measure knowledge and attitudes regarding HDS and SPSS was used for data analysis. Inverviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to further explore the attitudes and practices, and constant comparison method was used for analysis of responses.
RESULTS: Respondents were generally aware of HDS. Majority of survey respondents believed that HDS are different from conventional drugs (52.0%, p<0.05). However, knowledge on the role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regulating HDS and understanding of "No Approved Therapeutic Claims" were poor.
The attitude toward HDS was generally positive. Majority (64.0%, p<0.05) were positive toward their perceived health benefits as claimed for the prevention of diseases, while a smaller percentage (46.9%, p<0.05) believed in their benefit for the treatment of diseases. A favorable attitude regardings HDS safety was observed due to the idea of their being "herbal" and "natural".
Among the survey respondents, only 22% were HDS users. Family was shown to promote use while cost deterred their use.
CONCLUSION: Individual knowledge and attitudes on HDS exert significant influence toward HDS practices. Factors that promote use are poor knowledge and positive attitudes toward HDS. Good knowledge seems to lead to judicious use or non-use.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Focus Groups ; United States Food And Drug Administration ; Awareness ; Perception ; Safety ; Attitude ; Dietary Supplements

Background and Objectives: Heart Failure (HF) remains a major health concern worldwide. In the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), HF is consistently a top cause of mortality and readmissions among adults. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published guidelines for interventions that improve quality of life and survival, but they are underused and untested for local acceptability. Hospitals overseas used order sets created from these guidelines, which resulted in a considerable decrease in in-hospital mortality and healthcare costs. We aimed to develop an order set for adult patients with acute heart failure (AHF) admitted to the PGH Emergency Department (ED) to improve care outcomes. Methods: This study utilized a mixed methods approach to create the AHF order set. ESC and ACC HF guidelines were appraised using the AGREE II tool. Class I interventions for AHF were included in the initial order set. Through focused group discussions (FGD), clinicians and other care team members involved in the management of AHF patients at PGH ED modified and validated the order set. Stakeholders were asked to use online Delphi and FGD to get a consensus on how to amend, approve, and carry out the order given. Results: Upon review of HF guidelines, 29 recommendations on patient monitoring, initial diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions were adopted in the order set. Orders on subspecialty referrals and ED disposition were introduced. The AHF patient was operationally defined in the setting of PGH ED. The clinical orders fit the PGH context, ensuring evidence-based, cost-effective, and accessible care responsiveness to patients’ needs and suitable for local practice. Workflow changes due to COVID-19 were considered. Potential barriers to implementation were identified and addressed. The final order set was adopted for implementation through stakeholder consensus. Conclusion The PGH developed and adopted its own AHF order set that is locally applicable and can potentially optimize outcomes of care.
Quality Improvement ; Critical Pathways