Ateneo School of Government MPM 2023-C2 students paper presentation at the APAMI 2024

The Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) students under the Master in Public Management - Health Governance in partnership with the Department of Health - Doctors To The Barrio Program (MPM-HG for DOH-DTTBs) participated in the 13th Biennial Conference of the Asia Pacific Association for Medical Informatics or APAMI2024 with the theme, “Game Changers in Digital Health”, held last 1 to 2 October 2024 at the University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City (UP BGC) campus, Taguig, Philippines. Professionals from across the country gathered to share expertise, best practices and challenges in the field of health informatics.

Dr Reina Juno Sumatra, Dr Stephen Miayo, Dr Edwin Carlo Chua, Dr Valerie Joy Corpuz, Dr Joieanne Marie Macarubbo, Dr Jovine Martin, Dr Dianna Grace Lacaden, Dr Wendell Villanueva, Dr Joebert Edison Velasco, Dr Esshairah Pelingon, and Dr Ricardo Jr Raquinio, who are all undertaking the MPM-HG for DOH-DTTB Program, successfully presented the following papers, 

1. “Bridging the Digital Divide through Open Radio Access Network”, which showed the critical role of digital infrastructure in achieving Universal Health Care suggesting that Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) could be a scalable cost-effective solution for enhancing health care in remote areas of the Philippines;

2. “Addressing Patient E-Referral System Inefficiencies Through Policy Innovation in Central Visayas, Philippines”, aimed at addressing the systemic challenges in referral systems and patient management, recommended the importance of enhancing stakeholder collaborations, providing technical support and ensuring adequate resources; 

3. “Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Workers and Patients Towards Telemedicine in the Visayas Region of the Philippines: Improving Digital Inclusion in Universal Health Care”, which recommended training and capacity building for Health Care Workers on telemedicine use, improving healthcare personnel's availability, improving government internet facilities, creating packages and compensation for telemedicine services, establishing a free telemedicine application use, hiring specialists, and developing policies supporting digital inclusion in health; and

4. “Effects of SMS Reminders on the Oral Contraceptive Pill (OCP) Adherence among OCP Users in the Municipality of Lanuza, Surigao Del Sur”, respectively. 

These papers were drafted under the guidance of Dr Mario Villaverde, Dr Bernardino Aldaba, and Dr Teodoro Lloydon C Bautista, and were also submitted under the ASoG MPM-HG Public Policy Development and Analysis and Public Governance and the Bureaucracy Modules. 

The research studies hope to advance policy innovations, information and communications technology and digital inclusions particularly in the promotion of Universal Health Care in the Philippines.