Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2-2024
Abstract
A limited number of healthcare workers and cost constraints encumber primary care access in the Philippines. To test telehealth as a low-cost and effective solution, a large-scale digital health clinic was implemented in the selected urban and rural communities. In collaboration with local authorities, our pilot telemedicine clinic was implemented for 3 days in January 2023. Patients were registered, and their vitals were assessed before they were seen by a remote US-based licensed physician who provided treatment rec-ommendations. Medical devices with real-time streaming capabilities, such as electronic stethoscopes, were utilized to enhance remote examinations. A total of 322 patients were treated at the telehealth clinic; of which, 218 completed a population health survey. A large proportion of patients had a doctor visit more than 12 months prior (39.2%) and had not received a dental examination (86.3%) or an eye examination within the past year (84.4%). Most patients had access to a smartphone (69.7%). A lower proportion had access to an internet connection sufficient for video calls (57.9%) or a laptop (8.5%). Our clinic demon-strated that telehealth is a feasible solution to improve primary care access for disadvantaged communities in the Philippines.
Recommended Citation
Pickering, MD, A., Rafaqat, MD, W., Balk, A., Chen, M., Abrogena, MD, L., He, S., Showstark, M., Davis, A., Chen, A., & Lee, J. (2024). A Building Blocks Approach to Implementing a Telehealth Clinic Model to Improve Primary Care Access in the Philippines: A Large-scale Pilot Project. Telehealth and Medicine Today, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.30953/thmt.v9.456
