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

OBJECTIVES

Adiposity rebound (AR), the childhood period at which body mass index (BMI) rises from its lowest point, is linked to increased risk of later obesity. The study aims to determine the average age at AR, describe baseline characteristics and analyze the correlation between these characteristics and timing of AR in a population of Filipino pediatric outpatients.

DESIGN

Seven subjects born between 2016 and 2019 from a University Hospital Outpatient Department participated in this cross-sectional analytic study. Childhood anthropometrics were retrospectively collected to determine the age at AR by plot visual inspection. Sex, birth weight and gestational age were obtained from hospital records; breastfeeding duration, maternal BMI, parental obesity, maternal age, maternal smoking, education, parity and family income were gathered through a questionnaire completed by mothers or guardians. Associations were assessed using bootstrap univariate linear regression.

RESULTS

The mean age at AR was 3.2 years (SD = 1.2). Vaginal delivery was significantly associated with later age at AR compared to cesarean section (p = 0.035). Socioeconomic status at ages 2 to 5 showed positive association with delayed AR. Higher monthly family income (≥₱19,000) at ages 2 to 5 years was significantly associated with delayed age at AR. Other baseline childhood and parental factors showed no significant correlation with age at AR.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of AR, emphasizing the need for further studies to better understand and mitigate early obesity risk in Filipino children.

Human ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Universities ; Regression (psychology) ; Hospital Records ; Gestational Age ; Body Mass Index ; Obesity, Maternal

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

BACKGROUND

Internationalization in medical education aims to align programs with global standards, foster intercultural competence, and expand academic collaboration. In private medical schools in Northern Luzon, clarifying how internationalization is conceptualized and enacted can enhance the medical curriculum.

OBJECTIVE

To explore how private medical schools in Northern Luzon conceptualize and implement internationalization, identify associated challenges, and propose curriculum inputs to enhance delivery of the medical curriculum.

METHODS

The qualitative study utilized a multiple case study design. The study was approved by the Saint Louis University Research Ethics Committee. Using purposive sampling, 45 participants from private institutions in Northern Luzon Philippines consented to engage in focus group discussions and in-depth interviews from February to April 2025. Data were analyzed through inductive content and thematic techniques.

RESULTS

Participants conceptualized internationalization as (1) alignment with international quality and practice standards; (2) global engagement and exchange encompassing knowledge, skills, culture, institutional networking, and collaboration; (3) inclusivity and multicultural responsiveness; and (4) pursuit of global recognition and accreditation. Implementation occurred via “internationalization at home” (embedding global perspectives in local learning environments), “internationalization abroad” (student/faculty mobility and external exposure), and alignment of philosophical and curricular frameworks. Reported challenges included institutional and curricular constraints, language and cultural barriers, sociocultural and financial limitations, and external/contextual pressures.

CONCLUSION

Addressing the identified barriers and scaling the documented practices can enhance the delivery of the medical curriculum. The study offers actionable curricular revisions that private institutions may adopt to strengthen internationalization in medical education.

Schools, Medical ; Reference Standards ; Mental Competency ; Education, Medical ; Case Reports ; Education ; Curriculum ; International Cooperation ; Cultural Competency

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to create a study protocol that will explore UST administrators’ perceptions of the benefits and risks of AI use in higher education learning environments.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design will be employed, using semi-structured interviews with at least fifteen administrators selected through purposive sampling. Audio-recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis using NVivo software

RESULTS

Administrators from different college-level fields perceive and engage with AI across various academic contexts. Exploring these perceptions will allow guidance in the development of coherent, contextually grounded institutional policies that promote responsible GenAI use and support digital leadership in Philippine higher education.

Human ; Artificial Intelligence ; Universities ; Software ; Administrative Personnel ; Intelligence ; Risk ; Policy

BACKGROUND

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare, including occupational therapy (OT), with potential applications in its service delivery and clinical decision-making. While GenAI offers promising educational and clinical support, its generative nature introduces risks related to contextual accuracy, transparency, and ethical use, particularly within supervised clinical training settings where professional judgment is still developing. Empirical research examining GenAI integration in OT clinical training remains limited, especially within the Philippine context.

OBJECTIVE

This is a protocol for a study which aims to explore the perceptions of OT interns in Manila, Philippines, regarding GenAI integration in clinical training, including perceived benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations, guided by Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory

METHODS

This qualitative study protocol describes an exploratory design that will be used to gather rich and contextualized insights from 24 to 32 OT interns enrolled in universities in Manila with established institutional AI-use policies. Data will be collected through semi-structured online focus group discussions (FGD). Thematic analysis will be used with assistance from atlas.ti. 

EXPECTED RESULTS

The study is expected to generate meaningful themes that describe the perceptions of OT interns regarding the integration of GenAI within supervised clinical training contexts. Results are expected to reflect how interns perceive the role of GenAI in supporting clinical decision-making, as well as its perceived challenges and ethical concerns related to institutional policies, data privacy, reliability, and variability in AI-generated outputs.

Human ; Therapeutics ; Universities ; Volition ; Philippines ; Clinical Decision-making ; Artificial Intelligence

Human ; Students ; Schools ; Occupational Therapists

Practice-based learning is the key objective of postgraduate education. COVID-19 has revealed that medical institutions may need to adopt adaptive strategies to guide their students. The aim of this study is to describe the perception of Philippine medical clerks towards their surgical preparedness with an Enriched Virtual Mode (EVM)-Hybrid Learning during the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 176 fourth-year students using a 21-item 4-point-Likert questionnaire. Descriptive analysis showed that students sustained a strong enthusiasm for surgery (composite mean = 2.83 ± 0.62), with the highest ratings given to skill-oriented subjects, such as practical minors (3.05 ± 0.82) and clinical surgery (3.03 ± 0.78). Preparedness was similarly high (3.17 ± 0.46): practice was regarded as essential (3.50 ± 0.68) and operating-room exposure useful (3.22 ± 0.68), though time for hands-on practice was adequate (2.84 ± 0.74). Preference scores revealed a desire for richer tactile experience (3.36 ± 0.37), with scrubbing, suturing and live surgery observation receiving most support (>3.50). Overall satisfaction reached a moderate-to-high level (2.99 ± 0.48) but lagged behind interest and preparedness, indicating that limited physical immersion tempered fuller contentment. These suggest that while a blended curriculum can preserve enthusiasm and sense of readiness, emphasis on protected skills laboratories and increased exposure to the operating room may be needed to translate conceptual competence into experiential fulfillment.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Cross-sectional Studies ; Education ; Curriculum ; Perception ; Observation ; Schools, Medical ; Personal Satisfaction ; Learning ; Mental Competency ; Laboratories ; Pandemics

INTRODUCTION

With the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, schools around the world have slowly started to reimplement on-site classes with guidelines to prevent outbreaks. The University of Santo Tomas has devised their own set of guidelines, including safety protocols, vaccinations and daily health declarations. These were monitored using the
Thomasian Online Medical Services and Support (ThOMedSS).

METHODOLOGY

Through a case-control study design, the study aims to determine an association between the vaccination status of UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FMS) students and breakthrough COVID-19 infections in the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023, with population data acquired via records of students participating in face-to-face classes from the UST Health Service Office, and categorized based on breakthrough infections and vaccination status.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Results were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test (pCONCLUSION

The study suggests that vaccination status did not have a statistically significant association (p = 0.3451) with breakthrough infections. The majority (99.94%) of students have received the complete primary COVID-19 vaccination series and only 6.61% of this population developed breakthrough COVID-19 infections, all occurring in those completely vaccinated. Breakthrough infections were 1.76 times more likely for those with booster shots than those without. The possible reason for this is the emergence of the Omicron variant. To improve the study, external exposures and individual behaviors must be considered as potential factors influencing infection rates.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Child: 6-12 Yrs Old ; Adolescent: 13-18 Yrs Old ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Association ; Case-control Studies ; Covid-19 ; General Surgery ; Faculty ; Incidence ; Infections ; Medicine ; Universities ; Vaccination

METHODOLOGY

This is an ethically reviewed and approved protocol for a cross-sectional descriptive design to estimate the prevalence of psychosocial effects of post-COVID-19 lockdowns on children aged 12 to 17, utilizing the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Participants are adolescents enrolled in Junior High School, Education High School, or Senior High School at a private institution in Manila. Individuals already diagnosed with cognitive impairments or psychological disturbances were excluded.

INTENTION FOR PUBLICATION

We are publishing the copy of our ethically approved proposal to increase transparency of our study. We believe that investigating the psychosocial development of adolescents to explain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a unique approach to understanding its effects on their mental health. We hope that by making our protocol available, other investigators may be able to replicate our study in other subgroups of this population (ie, public schools, street children, home-schooled kids, etc.). It is our hope that if the study is replicated enough, we can have sufficient data to do a meta-analysis and get more accurate estimate of the effects.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent: 13-18 Yrs Old ; Schools ; Students