IDRC sits in at E-Lecture between National Telehealth Center and Basco, Batanes

On November 17, 2008 a lecture on Alcohol Abuse and Rehabilitation was given by Dr. Allan Dionisio of the National Poison Management and Control Center from UP-Manila to the Provincial Health Office, PNP, and other government employees and health workers about 800km away in Basco, Batanes. This lecture, an e-learning session aimed at improving health care at the grassroots level, is part of the telehealth program of the UP Manila National Telehealth Center in partnership with the province of Batanes. Using the free software, skype, Dr. Dionisio not only was able to deliver his lecture, but also had a lively question and answer interaction with the audience in Basco. This session is very appropriate since Batanes, with a an approximate population of 17000 is the number 2 consumer of gin nationwide.
While about 12 km from UP Manila, in the Telecommunication Office in Quezon City, at the pilot site of the eSkwela project of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), CICT director for field operations Maria Tess Camba, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada Program Manager (telecentre.org) Florencio Ceballos, OneRoof VP Miguel Raimilla and CICT and e-Skwela managers and learners observed Dr. Dionisio and the audience in Batanes again using the simple technology of the internet through skype. Prior to the lecture, Dr. HR Aujero, Coordinator for Field Operations of the National Telehealth Center introduced to the IDRC, CICT, and eSkwela representatives the initiatives of the National Telehealth Center. Assisted by Project Assistant Al Merca and Research Assistant Engr. Randy Fernandez, a three-point connection was established allowing all sites: National Telehealth Center- Basco, Batanes- Telof to see and interact with each other. Representatives from IDRC and CICT noted the innovative way of sharing knowledge using free software transcending limitations on location and limited connectivity. Afterwhich Mr. Ave Mejia presented the eSkwela project of the CICT which provides ICT-enhanced educational opportunities for out-of-school youths and adults.
Apart from e-learning, the National Telehealth Center, helps Batanes in patient care through e-medicine and in improving patient data management at the Rural Health Unit level through its e-records, CHITS (Community Health Information Tracking System)

Batanes Telehealth Program Inked

Batanes is 225 years old! As part of the Batanes Foundation Day celebrations, National Telehealth Center Director Alvin Marcelo, National Institutes of Health Deputy Executive Director Vicente Belizario, and DOH-Information Management Services Director Crispinita Valdez supported by NThC staff Cristina Onzaga, Al Merca, and Alexandra Bernal, RN traveled to Batanes to take part in the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement of the Batanes Telehealth Program with Governor Telesforo Castillejos, Mayor Demetrius Paul Narag of Basco, and Mayor Nicanor Doplito of Uyugan. This program, which has three main components: telemedicine, continuing professional education, and establishing an electronic health records for RHUs, seeks deliver health care from a distance. Dr. HR Aujero, Field Operations Coordinator of the National Telehealth Center, was sent to Batanes on a three-month stint to implement the project.

Telemedicine is simply providing healthcare to patients from a remote location. Doctors and selected nurses of Batanes General Hospital, the Provincial Health Office, the Municipality of Uyugan and the hospitals in the islands of Itbayat (Itbayat District Hospital) and Sabtang (Sabtang Community Hospital) have been trained on how to present patients through videoconferencing and how to take pictures of X-ray plates and lesions. A number of patients' x-ray plates have been referred to the Philippine General Hospital for official reading of a radiologist. And slides have also been sent to Manila to be read by a pathologist. Other avenues that have been utilized include SMS, and MMS. The latter has been very helpful for dermatology materials.

It is also the program's goals to improve the knowledge and skills of the other health workers such as the midwives and barangay health workers. Video presentations have been produced by the National Telehealth Center in cooperation with USAID and the UP Open University's Multimedia Center for these front line healthworkers. Each session consists of a video presentation and is followed by an open forum with a specialist on the topic from the Philippine General Hospital. To date, there have been three sessions in the province. The first in the island municipality of Itbayat on household poisoning with Dr. Laura Aguinaldo (April 22,2008). A session on stroke with Dr. Paul Pasco was held in the Provincial Health Office in Basco (May 5, 2008). And as part of the Batanes Day celebrations, another session on household poisoning with Dr. Laura Aguinaldo was held in the PHO (June 27, 2008). The last one however had the Q&A via cellular phone due to limited internet connection.

The last component is the utilization of the Community Health Information Tracking System, an electronic health record for Rural Health Units. This customizable, user friendly software is free, thus lowering costs for the LGUs. Pilot sites for CHITS are municipalities of Basco and Uyugan and the provincial health office. Mr Alison Perez Senior Programmer of the UP College of Medicine’s Medical Informatics Unit came to Batanes to install CHITS in the pilot sites and train the health workers on its use.

With the pact signed, stakeholders from both ends sealed their commitment on the program and expressed their enthusiasm for the next phase.

Telehealth in Remote Batanes

The National Telehealth Center of the UP-Manila- National-Institutes of Health partnered with the Provincial Government of Batanes on a Telehealth Program. This program seeks to connect the doctors of Batanes to each other and to specialists from the Philippine General Hospital. Dr. HR Aujero of the National Telehealth Center was sent to Batanes on a three-month stint to implement the project. The Governor, LGU heads, local doctors, nurses, and health workers have been oriented to the project and have given their full support.

The program has three main components: telemedicine, continuing professional education, and establishing an electronic health records for RHUs. Telemedicine is simply providing healthcare to patients from a remote location. Doctors and selected nurses of Batanes General Hospital, the Provincial Health Office, the Municipality of Uyugan and the hospitals in the islands of Itbayat (Itbayat District Hospital) and Sabtang (Sabtang Community Hospital) have been trained on how to present patients through videoconferencing and how to take pictures of X-ray plates and dermatologic lesions. A number of patients' x-ray plates have been referred to the Philippine General Hospital for official reading of a radiologist. And slides have also been sent to Manila to be read by a pathologist. Other avenues that have been utilized include SMS, and MMS. The latter has been very helpful for dermatology materials.

It is also the program's goals to improve the knowledge and skills of the other health workers such as the midwives and barangay health workers. Video presentations have been produced by the National Telehealth Center in cooperation with USAID and the UP Open University's Multimedia Center for these front line healthworkers. Each session consists of a video presentation and is followed by an open forum with a specialist on the topic from the Philippine General Hospital. Two sessions have been held in the province. The first in the island municipality of Itbayat on household poisoning with Dr. Laura Aguinaldo. A session on stroke with Dr. Paul Pasco was held in the Provincial Health Office in Basco.

The last component is the utilization of the Community Health Information Tracking System, an electronic health record for Rural Health Units. This customizable, user friendly software is free, thus lowering costs for the LGUs. Pilot sites for CHITS are municipalities of Basco and Uyugan and the provincial health office. Mr Alison Perez Senior Programmer of the UP College of Medicine’s Medical Informatics Unit came to Batanes to install CHITS in the pilot sites and train the health workers on its use.

On May 16, 2008, National Telehealth Center Field Operations Coordinator Dr. Hypte Raymund V. Aujero presented to the Governor, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for Health, and the Provincial Health Office the milestones of the program. NThC Director Alvin Marcelo, MD, FPCS, was able to send his message via video through the internet. The Governor and other officials expressed their appreciation to the National Telehealth Center for reaching out the remote province of Batanes, specially by sending a lone representative to implement the Telehealth program and live among the Ivatans, Isabtangs, and Itbayats for three months. Both the Province and NThC look forward to continuing the partnership.

Batanes Health Workers Learn Basic Computer Use

The Batanes Telehealth Project is composed of telemedicine and establishing an electronic health records (Community Health Information Tracking System or CHITS) for Batanes’s RHUs and Provincial Health Office. Computer literacy, therefore, is a very important component. On April 9-11, 2008, health workers from Basco, Mahatao, Ivana, Uyugan, and the island municipality of Sabtang assembled at the Batanes National Science High School (BNSHS) for three days of computer lessons. National Telehealth Center Field Operations Services HR Aujero, with the invaluable technical expertise of Provincial Health Office IT head Ireneo Geronimo and staff, guided the health workers on a step by step process based on the program of the National Computer Center.

The participants started by learning what is a computer and how to attach the cords and cables just in case they might need to. They were introduced to using the computer playing games just to get them accustomed to using a mouse. A number of these participants never touched a mouse before. Then, they proceeded to using a word processor which included formatting fonts, paragraphs and page, inserting pictures, and text editing. The health workers were also introduced to the world wide web. They learned how to search and email including attaching and downloading files. At the end, they were required to type, format, and print their own certificate of attendance. Also,a number of them were opening friendster accounts after hearing about it from their children and friends.

NThC Joins Batanes PHO and Provincial Government in Giving a Symposium on Reproductive Health for High School Students

Due to the increasing number of teen pregnancies and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), the provincial government thought of increasing awareness of the high school students on matters of sexuality. The target audience were junior and senior students of the Batanes National Science High School. This measure also aims to arm the students leaving for college with the proper attitude and knowledge to keep themselves safe from sexually transmitted infections and pregnancies.

The National Telehealth Center field operations coordinator, Dr. HR Aujero joined Dr. Alethea de Guzman of the PHO, Mr. Jong Valientes, provincial administrator, and DOH representatives Ma. Leticia Bayaras, RN and Cristeta Afrondoso, RN on the morning of March 18, 2008 at the BNSHS. The topics covered were: Fertility, Human Sexuality, Myths and Facts, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. Also present at the event was Dr. Elaine Aguto (UPCM INTARMED 2006) an Ivatan herself and graduate of the Ivana National High School.

Forty-one students attended, mostly (38) girls. Majority of the students learn about sex from books and magazines followed by the internet. The symposium cum workshop came at the right time as a lot of them will be leaving for the mainland for college and that their knowledge about contraception is limited. Only 12 or 29% say they are aware of contraception. Furthermore all of the students say that they do not discuss sex with their parents. Forty of the students say they never had sex, only one did not indicate whether he/she ever did it. Other risky practices like smoking (3 do smoke), alcohol use (6), and illegal substance use (0) were quite unpopular for the students. At the end of the session, the students were shown how to properly use a condom.