Formulating the National Policy on Telehealth for the Philippines  through Stakeholders’ Involvement and Partnership

Fernandez–Marcelo, Portia H.; Ongkeko, Arturo M.; Sylim, Patrick G.; Evangelista-Sanchez, Alyssa Marie A.; Santos, Abby Dariel F.; Fabia, Jonathan G.; Nisperos, Gene A.

doi:10.47895/amp.v50i4.766

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…For instance, the respondents reported concerns about liability and data privacy, which were indeed important policy issues according to Seelman and Hartman 15 . Such issues could potentially be addressed by improving the legal framework of telehealth in a country and building sustainable health information systems 16‐19 . In the Philippines, the National Telehealth Center under the National Institutes of Health at the University of the Philippines Manila has been working with the Department of Health, the National Privacy Commission, and the different medical and allied medical professional societies, including PARM, during the pandemic to ensure the proper delivery of health services through telehealth, while safeguarding the rights and safety of stakeholders (providers and consumers) 19‐22 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telerehabilitation perceptions and experiences of physiatrists in a lower‐middle‐income country during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Leochico

Rey-Matias

2021

PM&R

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Background The COVID‐19 pandemic catalyzed the adoption of telerehabilitation in various health care settings. However, there was neither a preexisting national guideline in the Philippines nor an internationally agreed upon standard for telerehabilitation. The literature lacks nationwide studies documenting how physiatrists perceived and experienced telerehabilitation during the pandemic. Objective To determine the perceptions and experiences of physiatrists in the Philippines regarding telerehabilitation. Design Online survey originally developed by the authors with inputs from local experts in telehealth or telerehabilitation. Setting Nationwide, involving board‐certified physiatrists practicing in the Philippines. Participants Fellows of the Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) (N = 259) with Internet access. Main Outcome Measures Self‐reported telerehabilitation knowledge, skills, and experience; key concerns; preferred clients, service offerings, and methods (technology, duration, charging). Results The respondents (n = 161; 62.2% response rate) had a mean age of 48.1 ± 9.6 years, were mostly female (57.8%), and mostly practiced in private hospitals and urban settings. The majority reported inadequate telerehabilitation knowledge (61.5%), skills (58.4%), and experience (72.1%). The most common sources of telerehabilitation knowledge were colleagues (52.8%), PARM (51.6%), and telemedicine‐related websites (41.6%). Most of the respondents preferred to conduct telerehabilitation with former patients over new ones and prescribe telerehabilitation programs for physical, occupational, psychological, and speech‐language therapy but not for swallowing therapy. Videoconferencing was the most common telerehabilitation method. More than half of the respondents charged lesser fees for telerehabilitation compared to in‐person consultations. Although the majority recognized the need for telerehabilitation, their key concerns included the lack of thorough patient examination and medicolegal liability issues. Conclusion Despite their limited baseline knowledge, skills, and experience regarding telerehabilitation, many physiatrists in the Philippines learned to adopt this service delivery method during the pandemic. Their perceptions and experiences could be used in formulating practice‐based guidelines and strategies to improve the conduct of telerehabilitation in the country.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Telerehabilitation perceptions and experiences of physiatrists in a lower‐middle‐income country during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Leochico

Rey-Matias

2021

PM&R

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“…Moreover, access and availability of technical and organizational resources such as telemetric devices, good internet connection, and other facilities were prerequisites attributed to the widespread adoption of telemedicine (Adenuga et al, 2017) [26] . According to Fernandez-Marcelo et al (2016) [27] , the Philippine government plays a critical role in improving national information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in telehealth (e.g., infrastructure for internet connectivity), especially for people residing in remote and disadvantaged areas. The government must also formulate an enabling environment that could engage private sectors in telehealth and other social services.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative analysis on the acceptance and use of telemedicine between physicians and patients in selected Metro Manila healthcare institutions

Elarco¹,

Mamangun²,

Lescano³

et al. 2021

IJRP

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“…Stakeholders (e.g. patients, healthcare providers, policymakers) have apprehensions about the use of telemedicine in general due to concerns about feasibility, data privacy, safety, cost-effectiveness, and evidence, among others ( 3 , 4 ). To date, telerehabilitation has limited evidence for specific patient populations.…”

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confidence: 99%

Home-based telerehabilitation for community-dwelling persons with stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study

Leochico

Austria

Gelisanga

et al. 2023

JRM

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Objectives: To determine the feasibility and safety of use of asynchronous telerehabilitation for community-dwelling persons with stroke in the Philippines during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, and to evaluate the change in participants’ telerehabilitation perceptions, physical activity, and well-being after a 2-week home-based telerehabilitation programme using a common social media application.Design: Pilot study.Participants: Nineteen ambulatory, non-aphasic adult members of a national university hospital stroke support group in the Philippines.Methods: Pre-participation screening was performed using the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. The participants were medically cleared prior to study enrollment. They then engaged in telerehabilitation by watching original easy-to-follow home exercise videos prepared and posted by the study authors on a private group page on Facebook™ every other day for 2 weeks. Descriptive statistics was performed. Results: All 19 participants (mean age: 54.9 years) completed the programme with no significant adverse events. The majority of subjects improved their telerehabilitation perceptions (based on the Telepractice Questionnaire), physical activity levels (based on the Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire), and perceived well-being (based on the Happiness Scale).Conclusion: Asynchronous telerehabilitation using a common low-cost social media application is feasible and safe for community-dwelling persons with chronic stroke in a lower-middle-income country. LAY ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic led us to find alternative ways to connect patients and healthcare providers despite physical distance. For instance, telerehabilitation via available telecommunication technologies can be used to provide consultation and therapy services to persons living with disability. In resource-limited countries, such as the Philippines, telerehabilitation was not widely practiced prior to the pandemic, due to several factors, such as lack of acceptance and high costs. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of telerehabilitation using a common low-cost social media application for patients with chronic stroke. Nineteen adult members of a stroke support group safely completed a 2-week telerehabilitation programme by watching original easy-to-follow home exercise videos posted on a private group page on Facebook™. The majority of subjects had positive experiences with the programme, and had improved perceptions of telerehabilitation, physical activity levels, and perceived well-being after 2 weeks.

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Formulating the National Policy on Telehealth for the Philippines through Stakeholders’ Involvement and Partnership

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Cited by 6 publications

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Telerehabilitation perceptions and experiences of physiatrists in a lower‐middle‐income country during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Telerehabilitation perceptions and experiences of physiatrists in a lower‐middle‐income country during the COVID‐19 pandemic

A comparative analysis on the acceptance and use of telemedicine between physicians and patients in selected Metro Manila healthcare institutions

Home-based telerehabilitation for community-dwelling persons with stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study

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