Pandemic Impact, Support Received, and Policies for Health Worker Retention: An Environmental Scan.

Background And Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional strain to health workers in the Philippines, leading to a significant proportion of them leaving the workforce. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of the pandemic on health workers, the support that they received and associated challenges; and identify relevant policies for better workplace conditions.

Methods: An environmental scanning method was utilized.

Needs Assessment for the Development of a Leadership Course for Midwives: a Qualitative Study.

Background And Objective: Midwives play a vital role in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals related to the health and well-being of mothers and newborns. Strengthening the leadership and management capacities of midwives is pivotal to the fulfillment of their mandate beyond assisting in birth and delivery. The study explores the perspectives of midwives about professional education and practice, which are aimed to serve as bases for developing a leadership course for midwives to enhance their roles in public health.

Staffing and Workload in Primary Care Facilities of Selected Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Communities in the Philippines.

Background And Objective: Staffing shortages and health inequities are persistent barriers in the Philippines toward achieving universal health care. To ensure an adequate and responsive health workforce, there is a need to evaluate the Human Resources for Health (HRH) status across health facilities, particularly those in underserved communities. Hence, this study aims to determine the staffing requirements and workload pressure among primary care facilities in selected geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in the Philippines.

Gaps and opportunities in addressing the needs of older adults in the Philippines and Vietnam: a qualitative exploration of health and social workers' experiences in urban care settings.

Background: Despite numerous government initiatives, concerns and disparities among older adults have continually been growing. Empirical studies focused on older adults in the Philippines and Vietnam appear minimal and mostly regarding perceptions of aging. An effective geriatric care strongly relies on functional service providers requiring their perspectives to be explored toward inclusive service delivery.

Can collaboration among health and social care workers play a role in addressing geriatric care challenges? A qualitative case study in Central Vietnam.

Background: Vietnam's healthcare system offers limited services and facilities for older adults. This study explored the perceptions of health and social care workers regarding geriatric care issues, their impact on older adults and the potential of collaboration for enhancing older adults' health and well-being.

Methods: This qualitative case study employed 27 focus group discussions and two in-depth interviews with 174 participants in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam.

In-service training programme for health and social care workers in the Philippines to strengthen interprofessional collaboration in caring for older adults: a mixed-methods study.

Background: A growing number of older adults require complex care, but coordination among professionals to provide comprehensive and high-quality care is perceived to be inadequate. Opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills important for interprofessional collaboration in the context of geriatric care are limited, particularly for those already in the workforce. A short-term training programme in interprofessional collaboration for health and social care workers in the Philippines was designed and pilot tested.

Associations of functional health literacy with socioeconomic and demographic status among Filipinos.

Background: Health literacy determines an individual's decision-making process in providing judgment concerning appropriate healthcare. Considering the various purposes of literacy for people, functional health literacy (FHL) was identified as a type of literacy that is measured by the application of literacy skills to health-related materials as a result of health education. The objective of this study was to identify the possible socio-demographic correlates of FHL of Filipinos.

Improving Community Health Workers' Attitudes toward Collaborative Practice in the Care of Older Adults: An In-Service Training Intervention Trial in the Philippines.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an in-service, short-term training program in improving the attitudes toward, and readiness and activities for collaboration among community health workers (CHWs) in a primary care setting in the Philippines. A randomized controlled trial was adopted dividing participants into an intervention ( = 42) and a control group ( = 39). Attitudes toward, and readiness and activities for collaboration were measured using three standardized scales before and at 6 months after the training.

Interprofessional collaboration and barriers among health and social workers caring for older adults: a Philippine case study.

Background: There is limited information on how the barriers to interprofessional collaboration (IPC) across various professionals, organizations, and care facilities influence the health and welfare of older adults. This study aimed to describe the status of IPC practices among health and social workers providing care for older adults in the Philippines; investigate the perceived barriers to its implementation and perceived effects on geriatric care; and identify possible solutions to address the barriers limiting collaborative practice.

Methods: A case study approach was utilized employing 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews and 29 focus group discussions with care workers from selected primary health care units, public and private hospitals, and nursing homes that are directly involved in geriatric care delivery in two cities in the Philippines.