Deployment of rural nurses to boost telehealth —Angara

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, chairman of the S&T committee in the Senate, has expressed his support for the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Services (RN HEALS) program, which he said can aid telehealth development in rural areas. The nurse program is set to launch next week and deploy 243 nurses to 28 municipalities in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental. Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE) noted that in Region 1 the ratio of healthcare workers per person is a disproportionate 190 per 100,000 people. Angara has been meeting with leaders of the nursing profession to find a solution for the lack of job opportunities for nurses in the Philippines and the apparent deterioration in the quality of nursing education and recently filed a bill in the senate that will develop community health delivery and health team placement for rural area. If passed, the bill would establish one Local Health Unit (LHU) for cities and municipalities with a population of more than 20,000, and at least one registered nurse per 5,000 people, and no less than 2 nurses for each LHU. The bill would also provide nurse-led operations and equipment for Telemedecine for 4th and 6th class municipalities with populations of less than 5,000. These nurses would be able to remotely consult with physicians, who would also be required to conduct periodic visits to the communities. The implementation of telehealth and telemedicine would also allow nurses in the LHU’s to electronically document patients and their records. Angara said that aside from improving basic health care services and delivery to remote areas, telemedicine will create the foundation for digital medical records. By collecting data from patients all over the country, transitioning to a digital medical record system will become easier. The collection of digital records also creates a centralized information system that can be utilized by PhilHealth. By keeping track of its members, PhilHealth can make it easier for members to get the health care they need and at the same time sustain their membership, Angara noted. Last week, the UP Telehealth Center organized an international conference on eHealth and telemedicine which saw local and foreign experts present current issues and trends in this emerging field. — Newsbytes.ph