Academic publishing is at a critical juncture. The challenges faced by the academics are mired in controversy. Among theseare three hotly debated concerns. First is the issue of whether technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI)improves research efficiency or if its use sacrifices research integrity.Another is the controversy between paywall publishingand open access. Lastly, adapting an appropriate business model for sustainability is a contentious issue and the choice betweena commercial or a university-based publishing platform is a difficult one.

Traditional models of scientific investigation relied on tedious intellectual calisthenics in all aspects of research —identifying research gaps, reviewing of published literature, devising valid methodology, collecting data, analysing results, and,finally, drawing conclusions. With the advent of powerful tools employing artificial intelligence, these heavy tasks are efficientlycarried out. The dilemma lies in determining which parts of the work can be attributed to the authors and which are ascribedto the output of large language models (LLMs) and other automated assistance employed.Despite requiring adequate vettingby experts of these AI-aided output, many in the scientific community still question these methods. Can research employingAI be considered honest work? Will full disclosure answer doubts as to the integrity of the scientific work?

Indeed, LLMs just gather information that is already out there, albeit more efficiently. After all, science progresses bystanding on the shoulder of giants. AI makes such work comprehensive and efficient. Standing on those proverbial shoulders,however, require access to prior work, hence our next challenge in academic publishing--open access versus paid access.Paywalls limit the benefits of valuable research to institutions and universities with the capacity to pay. Excluded from these arethose from low resourced countries, with nations from the global south being affected disproportionately. Additionally, whilenumerous authors appreciate the features of open access as it improves their impact and visibility, many feel unduly burdenedsince the cost of publishing in this format is passed on to them.

This brings us to our third issue: who bears the cost of academic publishing? Indeed, it is a lucrative industry, generatingan annual revenue of US$19 billion and an estimated 40 percent profit margin. Many, however, find fault in this businessmodel as concerns about the profit motives of the commercial publishers far overshadow their sustainability goals.

How do we navigate this landscape of controversies? We, at the ACTA, as part of the community of scholars, would needto clarify our mission. Our goals for this publication should be consistent with our values. These values, such as scientific rigor,integrity, and accountability, should be reflected in our policies. We should be cognizant of the role we play in national scientificdiscourse while we endeavor to make an impact in the global scene. We are accountable to our stakeholders — nurturingearly career scholars, supplying evidence to health policymakers, and being accountable to those who provide resources tosustain us. This stewardship is essential so that ACTA will stand shoulder to shoulder with the giants on which science buildsupon to benefit future generations.

Artificial Intelligence ; Commerce ; Costs And Cost Analysis ; Disclosure ; Drawing ; Efficiency ; Family Characteristics ; Forecasting ; Goals ; Gymnastics ; Health ; Health Resources ; Industry ; Intelligence ; Inventions ; Language ; Literature ; Methods ; Play And Playthings ; Policy ; Publications ; Publishing ; Research ; Residence Characteristics ; Role ; Science ; Shoulder ; Social Responsibility ; Universities ; Ursidae ; Volition ; Work ; World Health Organization

Walking through the wards of a crowded public hospital and seeing suffering and tragedy from easily preventable conditionsmakes one wonder what it takes for a facility to change the outcomes. The evidence is there, and guidelines have beendeveloped from it; yet practices remain difficult to change—whether in screening, prevention, treatment, or rehabilitation.

Recently, the Department of Health has put up a compendium of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) crafted accordingto the standards set by the Manual for Clinical Practice Guideline Development of DOH-Philhealth.Guidelines stipulatethat dissemination and implementation be considered, and applicability issues are discussed. The uptake of the guidelinesshould be evaluated, and facilitators and barriers should be identified. Thus, there is a need for implementation andapplicability studies to assess how effective guidelines are. For breast cancer, the Philippine Guidelines were published in 2022and updated in 2026.Identified as barriers against implementation are financial constraints and out-of-pocket costs. Actahas since responded to these concerns by publishing articles on financing cost assessment, and in this issue, by Mondragonand co-authors, an “Assessment of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients in a Tertiary CancerCenter and Private Clinics in the Philippines.”

These types of studies are necessary in the translation of evidence to practice, allowing organizations to adopt, scale,and sustain recommendations to real-world settings.

Where CPGs on malnutrition cite resource constraints as the only significant barrier for implementation, the article byde Luna and co-authors on the “A Qualitative Program Evaluation Study on the Perceived Impact of Health and NutritionPrograms among Beneficiaries of a Civil Society Organization in the Philippines” in this issue of the Acta add fear ofsustainability by families and competition from readily accessible instant food of poor nutritional value as barriers in implementingsuch programs.

These studies help us go beyond information dissemination of evidence-based practice to create pathways for impactfulintegration of recommended interventions. Implementation studies sharpen our analysis and focus our efforts on strategies thatcan help pilot, roll out, and scale up guidelines.

New modalities to carry out recommendations can also be part of how guidelines are implemented in the communitysetting. Where the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) recommends early home-based rehabilitation,the Stroke Society of the Philippines recommends telerehabilitation to augment the efforts of care providers.The articleby Laxamana and co-authors in this issue on “The Acceptance of Stroke Telerehabilitation among Rehabilitation Providersand Consumers in Two Tertiary Hospitals in the Philippines” not only identifies but also provides suggestions to addressimplementation barriers.

We support and encourage articles on implementation science. These works provide tools to convert evidence into outcomes.These transform organizations and help us accomplish meaningful, lasting structural change that should come withoutany delay to provide relief to our patients in our crowded public wards.

Practice Guideline ; Program Evaluation ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Costs And Cost Analysis ; Organizations ; Residence Characteristics ; Health Services Needs And Demand

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) ranks 11th in cancer incidence and mortality in the Philippines with the combination chemotherapy composed of Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone (CHOP) being commonly used as treatment. However, the addition of Rituximab to CHOP (R-CHOP) has been shown to exhibit higher response rates and longer remissions, potentially improving quality of life. Currently, there is conflicting evidence on the cost-utility of CHOP versus R-CHOP. The study aimed to describe the patient- and country-specific factors, and treatment modalities used for NHL and systematically review cost-utility evidence of R-CHOP versus CHOP in adult NHL patients.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of cost-utility studies on R-CHOP versus CHOP for NHL treatment was performed on eight databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOHost, Cochrane, York Research Database, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Database, and HERDIN, where 607 studies were identified. Upon screening using an eligibility criteria, 10 studies were included and critically assessed using four appraisal tools: CHEERS, Drummond, Cooper, and ECOBIAS. These were performed independently by two authors with a third author assisting to help reach a consensus.

RESULTS

All studies from high-income countries (HICs) (n=8) and low-middle-income country (LMIC) (n=1) suggested that R-CHOP was more cost-effective for NHL treatment than CHOP in terms of utility outcomes. The study conducted in a low-income country (LIC) (n=1) suggested the opposite, favoring CHOP over R-CHOP. Methodological differences such as perspective, discount rate, willingness-to-pay (WTP), time horizon, and economic model were observed. Methodological limitations include completeness of data reported and credibility of sources used.

CONCLUSION

The results of this review shall be interpreted with caution as those favoring R-CHOP over CHOP for NHL treatment in terms of cost-utility were concentrated in HICs. More economic evaluations from LICs, LMICs, and upper-middle income countries (UMICs) are needed for a robust conclusion. Additionally, establishing a universally recognized guideline for economic evaluations is essential to guide researchers effectively.

Cost-benefit Analysis ; Hodgkin Disease ; Lymphoma ; Systematic Review ; Lymphoma, Non-hodgkin

Walking through the wards of a crowded public hospital and seeing suffering and tragedy from easily preventable conditionsmakes one wonder what it takes for a facility to change the outcomes. The evidence is there, and guidelines have beendeveloped from it; yet practices remain difficult to change—whether in screening, prevention, treatment, or rehabilitation.

Recently, the Department of Health has put up a compendium of clinical practice guidelines (CPG) crafted accordingto the standards set by the Manual for Clinical Practice Guideline Development of DOH-Philhealth.Guidelines stipulatethat dissemination and implementation be considered, and applicability issues are discussed. The uptake of the guidelinesshould be evaluated, and facilitators and barriers should be identified. Thus, there is a need for implementation andapplicability studies to assess how effective guidelines are. For breast cancer, the Philippine Guidelines were published in 2022and updated in 2026.Identified as barriers against implementation are financial constraints and out-of-pocket costs. Actahas since responded to these concerns by publishing articles on financing cost assessment, and in this issue, by Mondragonand co-authors, an “Assessment of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients in a Tertiary CancerCenter and Private Clinics in the Philippines.”

These types of studies are necessary in the translation of evidence to practice, allowing organizations to adopt, scale,and sustain recommendations to real-world settings.

Where CPGs on malnutrition cite resource constraints as the only significant barrier for implementation, the article byde Luna and co-authors on the “A Qualitative Program Evaluation Study on the Perceived Impact of Health and NutritionPrograms among Beneficiaries of a Civil Society Organization in the Philippines” in this issue of the Acta add fear ofsustainability by families and competition from readily accessible instant food of poor nutritional value as barriers in implementingsuch programs.

These studies help us go beyond information dissemination of evidence-based practice to create pathways for impactfulintegration of recommended interventions. Implementation studies sharpen our analysis and focus our efforts on strategies thatcan help pilot, roll out, and scale up guidelines.

New modalities to carry out recommendations can also be part of how guidelines are implemented in the communitysetting. Where the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) recommends early home-based rehabilitation,the Stroke Society of the Philippines recommends telerehabilitation to augment the efforts of care providers.The articleby Laxamana and co-authors in this issue on “The Acceptance of Stroke Telerehabilitation among Rehabilitation Providersand Consumers in Two Tertiary Hospitals in the Philippines” not only identifies but also provides suggestions to addressimplementation barriers.

We support and encourage articles on implementation science. These works provide tools to convert evidence into outcomes.These transform organizations and help us accomplish meaningful, lasting structural change that should come withoutany delay to provide relief to our patients in our crowded public wards.

Practice Guideline ; Program Evaluation ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Costs And Cost Analysis ; Organizations ; Residence Characteristics ; Health Services Needs And Demand

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review examines recent pharmacoeconomic literature on denosumab' cost-effectiveness for bone metastasis treatment, providing evidence-based insights to guide healthcare policy decisions. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed across Cochrane, PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), CNKI, and Wanfang databases to identify original articles published between 2017 and 2023. Key words consisted of bone metastases, denosumab, and cost-effectiveness in the search strategy. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed utilizing the revised Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS 2022). Data was extracted regarding methodological characteristics and cost-effectiveness analyses. RESULTS: A total of 111 studies were retrieved, of which 6 met the inclusion criteria. All included studies were based on clinical trials and published literature data and exhibited high methodological quality. Up to 83% (5 out of 6) of comparisons demonstrated that denosumab was more cost-effective or dominant compared to zoledronic acid. The adjusted incremental cost-effectiveness ratios varied substantially by tumor type, ranging from CZK 436,339.09 to USD 136,234 per skeletal-related event avoided and from CZK 61,580.95 to USD 118,392.11 per quality-adjusted life year gained. CONCLUSIONS The majority of the included studies support denosumab as a more cost-effective treatment option for bone metastases in solid tumors compared to zoledronic acid. The application of CHEER (2022) enhances the reliability of pharmacoeconomic evaluations.
Denosumab/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Bone Neoplasms/economics* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis

Congenital musculoskeletal and limb deformities (CMLD) seriously affect the physical and mental health of patients, and pose great challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. We explored the specific situation and changes of incidence, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years rates, and mortality of CMLD in under-5 children from 1990 to 2021 in different groups, including different regions, periods, genders and socio-demographic indices (SDI), through corresponding analytical models. Overall, the global disease burden of CMLD in under-5 children has decreased from 1990 to 2021. The disease burden of CMLD in under-5 children varied significantly among different regions and countries, and there was a strong correlation between the corresponding burden of disease and the level of SDI. In addition, cross-country inequality analysis showed that while absolute inequalities in the disease burden of CMLD in under-5 children have improved, relative inequalities have worsened. It is essential to reduce the global health impact of CMLD by implementing targeted interventions to improve health care in underdeveloped areas.
Humans ; Global Burden of Disease/trends* ; Child, Preschool ; Global Health/statistics & numerical data* ; Infant ; Male ; Prevalence ; Limb Deformities, Congenital/mortality* ; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities/mortality* ; Female ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Cost of Illness ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUND

The Division of Colorectal Surgery at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) conducts hundreds of surgeries annually for benign and malignant colorectal conditions. Since 2019, the Division has implemented an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program to improve patient outcomes. However, its impact on hospital costs—critical for a government hospital—has not yet been studied.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ERAS on healthcare costs for elective colorectal surgeries performed at PGH in 2021.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted on adult patients who underwent elective colorectal surgeries under the ERAS protocol in 2021. Medical and billing records were retrieved using the hospital’s electronic medical records (EMR) system, excluding cases with incomplete data. Procedures were categorized by type [stoma closure, colonic or rectal resection, reversal of Hartmann’s, or cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC)] and surgical approach (open, laparoscopic, or robotic). Costs were classified into diagnostics, facility fees, medications, surgery, and hospital supplies. ERAS compliance rates were extracted from the online ERAS Interactive Audit System (EIAS), and linear regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Among 114 elective colorectal surgeries, records for 90 cases were analyzed. Surgery-related expenses accounted for the highest mean hospital costs across all procedure types. An inverse correlation between ERAS compliance and total cost was observed for open surgeries, with statistically significant reductions in stoma closures and open colon resections (p-value: 0.0213 and 0.0134, respectively). However, minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) did not demonstrate cost reductions with increasing ERAS compliance, likely due to additional expenses associated with advanced equipment. Linear regression indicated that higher compliance rates generally led to decreased hospital costs.

CONCLUSION

Standardized care through ERAS has been associated with cost savings compared to traditional perioperative management. This study supports the conclusion that higher ERAS compliance can reduce hospital costs in open colorectal surgeries. However, the higher costs of MIS procedures, driven by equipmentrelated expenses, may offset potential savings from ERAS adherence. Further research is warranted to explore the cost implications of ERAS in MIS cases.

Costs And Cost Analysis ; Colorectal Surgery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Oral ivermectin is recommended as an alternative to topical permethrin in Japanese, European, and CDC-STI guidelines for treating classic scabies. The combination of oral ivermectin and topical permethrin is also used in some settings. Partial economic evaluations conducted in India and Egypt have conflicting results, and no cost-effectiveness analysis in the Philippines has compared ivermectin-based regimens to permethrin for scabies treatment. We aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of oral ivermectin, alone or in combination with permethrin, compared to permethrin, in the treatment of Filipino adult patients with classic scabies.

METHODS

We used a decision tree model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of two regimens, oral ivermectin alone or in combination with permethrin, compared with permethrin to treat adults and children aged five years and older with classic scabies in the outpatient setting from the household perspective in the Philippines. We estimated total costs and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) over a one-month follow-up. Input parameters were obtained from secondary data, such as effect estimates for probabilities of clinical outcomes from a network meta-analysis, DALYs from the Global Burden of Disease 2019, and prevailing market cost in the Philippines (DPRI 2022 with recommended markup by DOH, and leading drugstores) as of August 2022. We computed for incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net monetary benefit (NMB) to determine which of the interventions are cost-effective. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses, and scenario analyses were conducted to assess the impact of parameter and structural uncertainty.

RESULTS

Ivermectin-based regimens are suggested to be likely cost-saving compared to permethrin in the Philippine outpatient setting. Base case analysis showed that oral ivermectin had higher cost-savings (change in cost, -1,039.31; change in DALYS, 0.00027), while combination oral ivermectin/permethrin had higher DALYs averted (change in cost, PhP -1,019.78; change in DALYs, 0.00045), compared to permethrin. Combination oral ivermectin/permethrin (56%) was the most cost-effective, followed by oral ivermectin (44%) compared to permethrin (0%) through probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Estimates for ivermectin were sensitive to risk of cure for ivermectin vs permethrin using 1-way deterministic sensitivity analysis. Oral ivermectin was favored over combination oral ivermectin/permethrin at all thresholds based on the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve.

CONCLUSION

Both ivermectin-based regimens seem to be cost-saving compared to permethrin in the treatment of classic scabies in the Philippine outpatient setting. Clinicians may consider oral ivermectin, alone or in combination with permethrin as an alternative first-line or second-line treatment depending on patient preference, adverse event risk profile, availability, and economic capacity. This needs to be confirmed using primary data from Filipino patients to enhance the robustness of the findings and support evidence-based local decision-making in different settings. Less uncertainty in modelled parameters can give greater confidence in the results, which can be adopted for budget impact analysis and allow more rational resource allocation. Value of information analysis can be done to determine whether the expense of future RCTs or surveys in Filipinos to collect primary data is worth it. The cost of reducing uncertainty, if deemed worth the cost of further studies, may facilitate population-level decision-making and budget planning. Findings may further inform practice guideline development, coverage decisions, and national control program planning by providing the most cost-effective scabies intervention.

Scabies ; Ivermectin ; Permethrin ; Cost-benefit Analysis ; Cost-effectiveness Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Asthma imposes a significant global health burden. This study examines changes in the asthma-related disease burden from 1990 to 2021 and projects future burdens for 2050 under different scenarios. METHODS: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, we analyzed asthma incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021. We projected the disease burden for 2050 based on current trends and hypothetical scenarios in which all risk factors are controlled. Temporal trends in age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates were explored using Annual Percent Change. RESULTS: In 2021, the age-standardized rates for asthma incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs in China were 364.17 per 100,000 (95% uncertainty interval [ UI]: 283.22-494.10), 1,956.49 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1,566.68-2,491.87), 1.47 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1.15-1.79), and 103.76 per 100,000 (95% UI: 72.50-145.46), respectively. A higher disease burden was observed among Chinese men and individuals aged 70 years or older. Compared to the current trend, a combined scenario involving improvements in environmental factors, behavioral and metabolic health, child nutrition, and vaccination resulted in a greater reduction in the disease burden caused by asthma. CONCLUSION Addressing modifiable risk factors is essential for further reducing the asthma-related disease burden.
Humans ; Asthma/mortality* ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Child ; Adolescent ; Global Burden of Disease/trends* ; Child, Preschool ; Young Adult ; Infant ; Cost of Illness ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Prevalence ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Aged, 80 and over ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the burden of lower respiratory infections in Chinese elderly people aged 70 and above. METHODS: This study utilized Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 1990-2050 prediction data to analyze changes in mortality rates and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates for lower respiratory infections in the elderly population (aged 70 and above) in China from 1990 to 2050. It also discusses future trends in the burden of lower respiratory infections (LRI) in China under different scenarios. RESULTS: According to GBD predictions, the burden of lower respiratory infections in the elderly aged 70 years and above in China is lower than the global average. The burden has been decreasing from 1990 to 2020, but is projected to increase from 2020 to 2050. Scenario-based predictions suggest that, under scenarios involving improvements in nutrition and vaccination, the burden of lower respiratory infections in the elderly in China is expected to be the lowest in 2050. CONCLUSION This study indicates that the burden of lower respiratory infections in elderly people aged 70 years and above in China remains a significant public health issue and may worsen. The government should consider strengthening the preventive measures and management strategies for respiratory infections in the elderly population.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Aged ; Respiratory Tract Infections/mortality* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Male ; Female ; Forecasting ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Global Burden of Disease ; Cost of Illness