INTRODUCTION

Hypertension is a serious public health issue that puts individuals at risk for various morbidity and mortality indicators. One of the most crucial factors in managing blood pressure and preventing complications is medication adherence which is linked to several determinants. This study explored the correlation between medication adherence among middle-aged hypertensive adults and the different domains of quality of life (QOL), which includes physical, psychological, social relationship and environment.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 96 Filipino residents of Brgy. San Jose, Navotas City aged 35 to 65 years old diagnosed with hypertension and prescribed anti-hypertensive medications. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to calculate the correlation between different domains of QOL as well as the overall QOL score.

RESULTS

Results revealed a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between overall QOL and medication adherence (r = 0.336, p<0.001). Among the QOL domains, environmental domain had the strongest correlation with adherence (r = 0.446, p = 0.00), followed by physical health (r = 0.443, p = 0.01) and psychological well-being (r = 0.382, p = 0.01). The social relationship domain showed negligible correlation (r = 0.163, p = 0.4).

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that while medication adherence is modestly associated with better perceived QOL, especially in physical, psychological and environmental aspects, other factors likely influence both outcomes. These findings highlight the need for holistic, community-based interventions that address not only medication adherence but also environmental and psychosocial barriers to care in managing hypertension.

Human ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; Middle Aged: 45-64 Yrs Old ; Aged: 65-79 Yrs Old ; Quality Of Life ; Public Health ; Medication Adherence ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Interpersonal Relations

INRODUCTION

Stroke is one of the top five leading causes of disability in the Philippines. It has a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of patients, particularly in the functional and psycho-emotional aspects. Thus, it is important to understand the health-related quality of life in stroke patients (HRQoLISP), which focuses on the clinical impact of the disease and disability. The assessment of a stroke patient’s QoL is prognostically significant as it can predict a patient’s treatment success and survival.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to translate the HRQoLISP-26 into Filipino and assess its content validity for Filipino adult stroke patients.

METHODOLOGY

The HRQoLISP-26 was translated into Filipino using a forward translation protocol and an expert analyzed the forward translation. Selected expert committee members reviewed the first version to assess for content validity and the questionnaire was modified accordingly. The content validity index (CVI) was used for content validity.

RESULTS

Majority of the revisions made were done to improve the semantic and grammatical accuracy of items in the Filipino version of the HRQoLISP-26. Only a few items had no revisions implemented. No revisions were done in the final version of the translated questionnaire as each item had a CVI of 1 indicating that it has good content validity.

CONCLUSION

The Filipino translated HRQoLISP-26 questionnaire is a validated questionnaire that allows assessment of a stroke survivor’s QoL.

Quality Of Life ; Patients ; Life ; Health ; Adult ; Stroke

OBJECTIVES

Clinical pathways (CPs) ensure adherence to heart failure (HF) management guidelines. To optimize quality care in a low resource setting, an evidence-based care pathway for the management of acute HF was implemented at the emergency department (ED) of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), the designated national tertiary hospital and referral center. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of adults with acute HF admitted at the ED and evaluate the quality of care they received, measured using physician adherence to the hospital’s acute heart failure CP.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, descriptive cohort study. We reviewed the inpatient charts of all adult patients with acute HF admitted to the ED of the PGH and referred to the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine between December 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023. Quality of care was assessed based on adherence to quality indicators adapted from routine and conditional order sets detailed in the pathway. Descriptive statistics was utilized to describe patient characteristics, quality of care, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Two hundred thirty-six (236) patients were included, with a mean age of 51.8 years. Majority were male (53.4%); hypertension (61.4%) and ischemic heart disease (53.8%) were the most common comorbidities, and infection the most common precipitant of decompensation (60.6%). There were optimal adherence rates to routine orders, which included referrals to Internal Medicine and Cardiology, baseline vital signs monitoring, fluid intake and output monitoring, chest radiograph, complete blood count, blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, arterial blood gas, urinalysis, and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide. Conditional orders, such as oxygen support, focused echocardiography, thyroid - stimulating hormone, and the use of vasopressors, diuretics, and venous thromboembolism prophylactic agents, were optimally performed when warranted. However, we noted suboptimal adherence to certain resource-intensive conditional orders, such as hourly monitoring of urine output (61.4%), hooking to cardiac monitor (53.8%), and performance of 12-lead ECG within 10 minutes (56.8%). Further, only 43.9% of patients were referred to the intensive care unit. Troponin I, calcium, magnesium, and albumin were ordered in excess.

CONCLUSION

Overall adherence rate of physicians to the hospital’s Acute Heart Failure Pathway was satisfactory. Work is needed to improve adherence to hourly urine output monitoring, consistent hooking to cardiac monitor, and timely performance of 12-lead ECG – an effort that begins with expanding in-hospital diagnostic equipment and human resource supply. We recommend continuous pathway implementation with periodic evaluation and stakeholder feedback to further improve quality of care.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged: 45-64 Yrs Old ; Adult ; Albumins ; Blood ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Calcium ; Cardiology ; Chart ; Charts ; Cohort Studies ; Critical Care ; Critical Pathways ; Diagnostic Equipment ; Disease ; Diuretics ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Equipment And Supplies ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Feedback ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure ; Hormones ; Hospitals ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Indicators And Reagents ; Infection ; Infections ; Inpatients ; Intensive Care Units ; Internal Medicine ; Lead ; Magnesium ; Male ; Medicine ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Natriuretic Peptides ; Nitrogen ; Overall ; Oxygen ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Patients ; Peptides ; Philippines ; Physicians ; Potassium ; Prothrombin ; Prothrombin Time ; Quality Of Health Care ; Referral And Consultation ; Sodium ; Statistics ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thorax ; Thromboembolism ; Thromboplastin ; Thyroid Gland ; Time ; Troponin ; Troponin I ; Universities ; Urea ; Urinalysis ; Urine ; Venous Thromboembolism ; Vital Signs ; Work ; Workforce

Abstract Background: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) encompasses cognitive, motor, and mental impairments persisting for years in ICU survivors. Despite its significance, the prevalence of PICS in Indonesia remains uncertain due to limited research and a lack of validated measurement tools. This study aims to translate and validate the PICS Questionnaire for use among ICU survivors in Indonesia. Methods: The study followed a two-phase approach: translation and evaluation. The translation phase adhered to the 10-step process of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) guidelines. The analysis phase involved 184 subjects, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for validation and Cronbach's α and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for reliability testing. Results: The CFA reported factor loadings (λ >0.40) for each item in its relevant domain. Fit index values indicated a good-to-acceptable fit. Internal reliability was high for the mental, physical, and cognitive domains (0.812 vs. 0.779 vs. 0.855), with Cronbach's α of > 0.70. Test-retest reliability and ICC demonstrated dependable results (>0.70) for each domain. Conclusion: The translated and validated Indonesian PICS Questionnaire demonstrates good validity and reliability. This tool will enable healthcare professionals to assess PICS among ICU survivors in Indonesia and facilitate further research on its prevalence and impact on quality of life.
Intensive Care Unit ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Factor Analysis ; Statistical ; Indonesia

RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is painless, paroxysmal, repetitive twitching of the unilateral facial muscle initially starting with the orbicularis oculi progressing to mid and lower facial muscles. This condition can be disabling and affect quality of life. Microvascular decompression (MVD) offers t he m ost permanent treatment and outcomes are measured through cessation of spasm. There are currently no Filipino-translated questionnaires to measure the quality of life (QOL) of patients with HFS. This study translated and validated the HFS-7 questionnaire and used it to assess and compare the preoperative and postoperative QOL of patients with HFS following MVD.

METHODS

The HFS-7 questionnaire was translated to Tagalog using a “forward–backward” translation method by 2 independent linguists. The translated questionnaire was validated by 4 expert neurosurgeons and were sent to 27 HFS patients to retrospectively assess pre-op and post-op QOL.

RESULTS

Twenty out of 27 HFS patients answered the survey. Majority of HFS patients were middle-aged females. The Criterion Validity Index (CVI) showed a result of 1 which indicates good validity of the translated HFS-7. It has good reliability with Cronbach alpha score of 0.97. T-test comparing the pre-op and post op scores showed that there is a significant improvement in QOL of HFS patients after MVD.

CONCLUSION

In patients with HFS, MVD offers an improvement of postoperative versus preoperative quality of life measurements. The Tagalog-translated HFS-7 questionnaire is a valid and reliable objective tool in measuring this treatment outcome.

Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Microvascular Decompression ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Quality Of Life

Background: Diet is an important modifiable factor that may influence sleep quality, with several foods, nutrients, and dietary patterns reported to affect sleep-related outcomes. However, evidence regarding the relationship between Halal dietary practices and sleep quality remains limited. This study aimed to determine the association between the frequency of consumption of Halal-certified food groups and sleep quality among adult Filipino Muslims. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 adult Filipino Muslim members of the Greenhills Muslim Traders Association in San Juan City, Philippines. Participants were selected using purposive sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), while dietary intake was measured using a structured questionnaire on the frequency of consumption of Halal-certified food groups. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics, dietary patterns, and sleep quality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between Halal-certified food group consumption and sleep quality. Results: Halal-certified grain products were the most frequently consumed food group (mean = 2.39), while Halal-certified combination foods were the least frequently consumed (mean = 1.21). The mean global PSQI score was 4.62, indicating generally good sleep quality, and 67.8% of participants were classified as good sleepers (PSQI ≤5). Sleep efficiency had the highest mean component score (1.16), whereas subjective sleep quality had the lowest (0.00). Multivariable logistic regression showed no significant association between the frequency of consumption of most Halal-certified food groups and sleep quality (p > 0.05). However, more frequent consumption of Halal-certified combination foods was significantly associated with lower odds of good sleep quality (OR = 0.697, 95% CI: 0.529–0.919, p = 0.010). Conclusion The frequency of consumption of most Halal-certified food groups was not significantly associated with sleep quality among adult Filipino Muslims. However, increased consumption of Halal-certified combination foods was associated with lower odds of good sleep quality. Further studies should explore other dietary and behavioral factors that may influence sleep outcomes.
Sleep quality ;

Introduction: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare genetic disorder caused by PHEX mutations, characterized by chronic hypophosphatemia and renal phosphate wasting, resulting in skeletal, dental, and extra-skeletal complications. To date, no data from Malaysia are currently available on clinical characteristics or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in paediatric patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study evaluated HRQoL among children and adolescents with XLH, using validated PROMIS (PatientReported Outcomes Measurement Information System) instruments, sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with HRQoL. This includes children and adolescents with confirmed XLH followed up at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) between November 2024 and March 2025. Results: Seventeen patients were analyzed (76.5% female and 23.5% male). The mean age at symptom onset was 2.82 ± 2.42 years, with a mean age at diagnosis of 5.21 ± 3.29 years. All patients continued to have musculoskeletal complications, including short stature (76.5%), bowing of legs (76.5%), bone/joint pain (47.1%), muscle pain (47.1%), and dental complications (52.9%). Serum alkaline phosphatase improved significantly (p = 0.011); persistent hypophosphatemia and ongoing musculoskeletal manifestations indicated suboptimal disease control. Elevated parathyroid hormone levels and an increase in urine calciumto-creatinine ratio (p = 0.020) lead to secondary hyperparathyroidism and nephrocalcinosis. Adherence to conventional therapy was poor. Non-adherence was associated with worse pain outcomes (higher pain interference [p = 0.037] and greater pain intensity [p = 0.025]). PROMIS scores revealed severely impaired mobility (mean T-score 31.31 ± 12.17), increased fatigue (mean T-score 54.22 ± 7.60), and high pain interference (mean T-score 63.11 ± 9.50). Larger household size was also strongly associated with higher pain intensity (p = 0.004). Conclusion Malaysian children and adolescents with XLH continue to have significantly poor HRQoL, particularly in mobility, fatigue, and pain. These findings highlight the need for access to targeted therapies, such as burosumab, to improve long-term outcomes and QOL in XLH patients.
Adolescent ; Child ; Familial Hypophosphatemic Rickets ; Malaysia ; Quality of Life

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to describe the demographic profile, intervention sessions, goal attainment scaling (GAS), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of autistic children receiving speech and language therapy (SLT) in a higher educational institution in the Philippines.

METHODS

Deidentified data from 18 autistic children aged 4–16 years (mean=8.2; SD=2.9) who received SLT for two months were analyzed. Their demographic profile, intervention sessions, GAS scores, and generic HRQOL scores were documented.

RESULTS

Most participants were school-age children (n=12; 66%) and were boys (n=14; 78%). After two months, the GAS scores of 11 participants (61%) increased by 1–2 points, whereas the scores of the remaining participants decreased (n=6; 33%) or did not change (n=1; 6%). Their mean generic HRQOL scores before and after SLT were 65.6 (SD=15.2) and 61.2 (SD=17.4), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

While the GAS scores increased for most participants, their generic HRQOL scores did not show clinically significant changes after two months of SLT. This can be attributed to the few therapy sessions and short follow-up period. The findings highlight the need to provide long-term support to SLT services of autistic children in the Philippines to document more desirable quality of life outcomes.

Human ; Quality Of Life ; Autistic Disorder ; Child ; Language Therapy

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.

Human ; Quality Of Life ; Critical Pathways ; Quality Improvement

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Nurses comprise the majority of the health workforce in the Philippines. Previous studies revealed that nurses manifest negative mental health outcomes exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to determine the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) of nurses in the Philippines and their workplace psychosocial support interventions during the pandemic. The ProQOL measures compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS).

METHODS

A self-administered online questionnaire was disseminated by the Philippine Nurses Association, Inc. to affiliated nurses via email and Facebook posts. Out of 713 responses, 239 were eligible with their data analyzed using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc pairwise multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Respondents were found to have high CS (41.95 [SD 5.97]), moderate BO (23.56 [SD 6.07]), and moderate STS (26.62 [SD 8.18]). The most reported intervention was policies on confidentiality of workers’ mental health (84.94%) while the least reported was community engagements under the hospital’s mental health program (61.51%). ProQOL scores significantly differed in CS by age (p=0.011), position (p=0.044) and monthly income (p=0.016), BO by age (p=0.001) and years with current employer (p=0.009), and STS by region (p=0.017) and area of assignment (p=0.015). The existence of interventions yielded significant increase in CS and decrease in BO scores.

CONCLUSION

Nurses in the Philippines exhibit high and favorable ProQOL during the pandemic. The majority of respondents reported the presence of workplace interventions which yield significant differences in CS and BO. The findings highlight the importance of workplace psychosocial support interventions and the need to strengthen implementation.

Human ; Nurses ; Quality Of Life ; Psychosocial Intervention ; Occupational Health ; Covid-19 Pandemic ; Covid-19