In recent years, patient-centered care has been the center of discussion in the healthcare community as well as a buzzword for excellence in care delivery. Yet patients still have little influence in matters that impact them the most, observed the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
In its publication “The Power of Patient Voice,” NEJM added that patients are said to be the center of healthcare but too often their voices are ignored or put to the side when decisions are being made. These decisions include those relating to their health, their treatment plans, the cost of their care, and more. It asserted that care is patient-centric if input from patients themselves is a core part of the process.
Patient-centered healthcare has emerged in the past decades as an approach for better-functioning healthcare systems. It represents a shift from “doctor knows best” to a new pact between patients and healthcare professionals, where the patient is actively involved in any decisions about their wellbeing. To cite just one example, patients can provide feedback to healthcare professionals about how a medicine is working for them and which ones may be most fit for them.
Patient empowerment is both a pre-requisite for and an outcome of patient-centered healthcare — a goal as well as a process, according to the European Patients Forum (EPF). EPF defines patient empowerment as a “process that helps people gain control over their own lives and increases their capacity to act on issues that they themselves define as important.” Aspects of empowerment include health literacy, shared decision-making, and self-management.
Recognizing the vital importance of a strong patient voice in enhancing healthcare systems, the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO) in partnership with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) co-developed the Post-Graduate Certificate Course on Healthcare Leadership and Management.
This first-of-its-kind customized program under the AIM School of Executive Education and Lifelong Learning gives patient leaders the opportunity to hone their leadership skills in creating a people-centered approach to healthcare. It aims to enhance the capabilities of patient leaders and empower them to effectively lead and transform their organizations. By equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge, patient leaders can play pivotal roles as members of local health boards, actively participate in decision-making processes, and contribute to the improvement of healthcare systems at the grassroots level.
The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act mandates the creation of local health boards that are responsible for setting the overall health policy directions and strategic thrusts, including the development and implementation of the integrated strategic and investment plans of the province-wide and city-wide health system. These health boards also oversee and coordinate the integration and delivery of health services; manage the Special Health Fund (SHF); and exercise administrative and technical supervision over health facilities and health human resources within their respective territorial jurisdiction.
“We want the patient’s voice to be represented in the local health boards, so we need to be prepared. This post-graduate course further enhances our leadership, strategic thinking, and empathy through design thinking,” said PAPO President Karen Alparce-Villanueva.
During the graduation ceremony, five groups presented their Action Learning Projects, which are real-life case studies designed to help ensure classroom learning is implemented in the real world. The patient leaders discussed Project Padayon, a toolkit guide for local health officials in organizing and partnering with patient groups; developing strategic partnerships for people-centered healthcare; automating medical records through mobile application development; increasing access to financing for patients with rare diseases; and enhancing the patient experience in accessing financial assistance through the Malasakit Centers.
PAPO trustee Mel Lamsin said that the course gave them more confidence as it equipped them with knowledge on how to frame problems and propose solutions in a better way.
“We stand with PAPO, AIM, and the broader community in championing patient-centered healthcare for Filipino patients. We laud PAPO for bringing this vision closer to reality by equipping patient leaders through this postgraduate course,” said Andreas Riedel, President and Managing Director, MSD Philippines.
Along with MSD, Roche Philippines, and Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines provided support to the strategic collaboration between PAPO and AIM.
Patient-centric care may be the latest byword for quality healthcare but for us to get there, patients must be part of the conversation and decision-making. Borrowing from PAPO on its discussion about patients: “It is not about us, without us.”
Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP). PHAP represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are in the forefront of research and development efforts for COVID-19 and other diseases that affect Filipinos.
