BACKGROUD

In 1995, RA 7883 was enacted stating the incentives and benefits which can be provided for BHWs. In the advent of the Universal Health Care, the role of the BHWs will be crucial more than ever and to ensure the sustainability of the program is an urgent concern. There is a need to identify the hindrances in the provision of incentives and benefits for the BHWs in coming up with recommendations on how to improve it.

Focus group discussions on selected BHWs and key informant interviews on policy makers and implementors were conducted to assess the reinforcing and hindering factors on the provision of incentives and benefits for the BHWs.

The report outlines key factors affecting BHWs in Oriental Mindoro. While the BHW organization has potential to offer incentives, it needs stronger oversight from the Local Government Unit (LGU) to be effective. NGOs, provide crucial funding for training BHWs in remote areas. Political interference in appointing BHWs, with frequent changes in leadership, disrupts the program's stability. Training opportunities are limited by a lack of funding, leaving many BHWs undertrained. Additionally, local ordinances that offer benefits to BHWs often fail due to unclear policies, changing local leadership, and insufficient budgets.

The BHW program continues to face persistent challenges in the provision of incentives and benefits, largely due to the lack of clear, comprehensive, and enforceable policies and guidelines.

Databases, Bibliographic ; Evidence-based Practice ; Health Services Needs And Demand

BACKGROUND

PhilHealth serves as the Philippines’ national health insurance provider and is central to implementing the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law. Despite this, existing gaps and ongoing challenges in claims and financial management systems continue to affect public healthcare facilities’ operations and sustainability.

This article examined the effectiveness and challenges of PhilHealth’s claims and financial management systems in public healthcare facilities, focusing on accreditation, claims processing, reimbursements, and financial governance.

A qualitative multiple-case study design was employed in Quezon City and the provinces of La Union, Sorsogon, Leyte, and Bukidnon, with data collected from 2022 to 2023. Prior to data collection, a certificate of exemption was granted by the Department of Health – Single Joint Research Ethics Board (DOH-SJREB). Data were collected through key informant interviews with healthcare facility heads, claims processors, and PhilHealth personnel, supplemented by document reviews and facility observations. Thematic analysis was employed to examine the implementation of national health insurance policies at the facility level.

Accreditation standards are uniformly defined, yet compliance varies widely, directly influencing reimbursement outcomes. Facilities with compliance gaps often face provisional accreditation, downgrades, or suspension, resulting in reduced revenue. Although the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law guarantees patient access to PhilHealth benefits, the efficiency of claims processing remains uneven and highly dependent on administrative capacity, staffing adequacy, and digital infrastructure. Systemic inefficiencies at both PhilHealth and facility levels contribute to delays and claim denials. Reimbursements are further constrained by outdated case rate ceilings, inconsistent financial practices, inadequate recordkeeping, weak information systems, and poor storage conditions—particularly in lower-level hospitals and rural health units.

Reforms in claims processing workflows, information system integration, and financial management capacities are crucial to enhance reimbursement efficiency. Strengthening these systems is fundamental for supporting sustainable, equitable, and high-quality healthcare delivery in the public sector within the Universal Health Care (UHC) framework.

Endoscopy ; Health Services Needs and Demand

Objective: This study aims to explore and analyze the modern contraceptive use of National Health Insurance (NHI) participants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Methods: This research is an ecological study using aggregated data from 13 Districts/Cities in South Kalimantan. This study used secondary data in 2018-2020 from the official website of the National Population and Family Planning Agency. Spatial analysis and paired T-test were used. Results: There were 30.7% of Districts/Cities in stagnation and 30.7% in the decline of modern contraception use during the pandemic (2019-2020). In addition, the study showed that there were differences in the use of modern contraception before (2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) among active family planning acceptors of NHI participants (p=0.048). Conclusion The existence of NHI, especially recipients of contribution assistance, can increase the use of modern contraception in South Kalimantan. There are differences in the use of modern contraception before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among NHI participants.
National Health Programs ; National Health Insurance ; COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the well-being of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The core deficits of the condition and increased parental stress during this time made them more vulnerable. Objectives: This study aims to explore how the pandemic has affected these families by identifying their needs and capabilities in order to provide support. Methods: A total of 227 parents of children with ASD completed an online survey consisting of items on sociodemographic, family needs, and coping strategies. Descriptive statistics were used and t-test and ANOVA/Kruskal Wallis were used to determine the relationship between parent and child factors with needs and coping. Results: Needs for Information, Community Services, and Finances are the top categories while the greatest identified need during this pandemic was for financial assistance. Religiosity, Problem-Solving, and Cognitive Reappraisal were the widely used coping strategies by the parents. Fathers, younger children, daughters with ASD, and having more than one child with ASD showed significant association with needs. Parents with primary and tertiary education were associated with use of the cognitive reappraisal strategy and those with jobs were associated with substance use. Conclusion Families of children with ASD have multiple needs during this pandemic, from autism-specific information and services, to more generic concerns such as financial assistance. Despite these challenges, these families have positive strategies in place to facilitate coping mechanisms.
Autistic Disorder ; COVID-19 ; Needs Assessment ; Coping Skills

BACKGROUND

Advance care planning (ACP) discussions are vital, but they remain largely neglected and met with resistance in the Philippines. The general population, especially non-medical individuals, has not actively engaged in ACP. To address this, we developed the ‘ACP-READY’ program for primary care settings.

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ‘ACP-READY’ in facilitating the completion of Advance Directives (ADs) among non-medical personnel and identifying barriers to their completion.

A randomized, controlled, single-blind approach with a quantitative survey followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews enrolled 161 English-literate, legally competent individuals aged 18-65 from a hospital’s non-medical staff. Participants were randomly assigned to control (n=77) or intervention (n=84) groups. We initially evaluated participants’ readiness for ACP (ACPRe)1. Subsequently, both groups were instructed to complete an AD form in their preferred language, with the experimental group receiving an interactive ACP seminar. Post-test assessments gauged participants’ willingness to complete their AD. A focused-group discussion was conducted to explore their experiences.

Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. There was no statistical difference in readiness improvement and AD completion rates between the control and intervention groups. Well-worded brief instruction and comprehensive seminars were equally effective in enhancing readiness and promoting AD completion (pCONCLUSION

Concise and well-presented instruction on ACP is as effective as comprehensive seminars in promoting AD completion among medically stable individuals. Family physicians, with their longitudinal, patient-centered approach, can address some of the identified barriers.

A crucial lesson gained through the pandemic preparedness and response to COVID-19 is that all measures for epidemic control must be law-based. The legal system is related not only to public health emergency management per se but also to all aspects of the institutional supporting system throughout the lifecycle. Based on the lifecycle emergency management model, this article analyses the problems of the current legal system and the potential solutions. It is suggested that the lifecycle emergency management model shall be followed to establish a more comprehensive public health legal system and to gather the intelligence and consensus of experts with different expertise, including epidemiologists, sociologists, economists, jurist and others, which will collaboratively promote the science-based legislation in the field of epidemic preparedness and response for the establishment of a comprehensive legal system for public health emergency management and with Chinese characteristics.
Humans ; China ; Pandemics/prevention & control* ; Public Health ; Emergencies ; Disaster Planning

Objective: The Philippines has more than a hundred ten million population with a very limited number of general pathologists and subspecialist pathologists. Consultation of pathologists with other pathologists is important to ensure accurate results for difficult cases. However, pathologists are not always accessible to review slides. Telepathology can provide access to other pathologists by sending microscopic images through the internet. This study explores the needs of pathologists for consultation in their practice that may be aided by telepathology. The status of current pathology practice and subspecialty consultations across the different regions in the Philippines were determined and the readiness of pathologists for telepathology was identified. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study using an 18-item online survey questionnaire based on the World Health Organization guidelines on needs assessment for medical devices. The survey was distributed among anatomic pathologists practicing in the Philippines. Results: One hundred forty (140) pathologists responded and were included in this study. 5-10% of cases of respondents required subspecialty referral. Diagnostically challenging cases and confirmation of malignancy are the most common reasons for consultation. Respondents practicing outside the National Capital Region (NCR) have fewer subspecialist pathologists available for referrals within their region. Turnaround times for signing out challenging cases are longer outside NCR (>7 days) compared to NCR (4-7 days). Most respondents have access to the basic equipment to perform telepathology, which includes, an internet link, a smartphone with high-resolution camera and a computer. Almost all respondents will use telepathology if it is available. Conclusion A hub-and-spoke telepathology network can provide access to subspecialty consultation to reduce the diagnostic turnaround time and to increase the accuracy of results for challenging cases. The availability of the minimum telepathology infrastructure and the positive attitude of the pathologists towards telepathology may be indicators of readiness for a local telepathology system in the Philippines.
Telepathology ; Philippines ; Pathology ; Needs Assessment ; Telemedicine

Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza, Human/prevention & control* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Whooping Cough/prevention & control* ; Vaccination ; Influenza Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/prevention & control* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care