The Philippines Department of Health, Tarlac Provincial HealthOffice and Qualcomm, through its Wireless Reach initiative,announced the expansion of the Wireless Access for Health project,which uses 3G technology to improve health care in the Philippines.
According to a release, local Tarlac government officials havecommitted to support the replication of the project across theentire province by the end of 2012.
The Philippine Field Health Service Information System is thegovernment's primary method for managing public health data and isused for policy analysis and planning at all levels of the publichealth system. Traditionally, information has been manually recordedon paper by health care providers a time consuming and error proneprocess that is difficult to access and manage.
The WAH project streamlines the reporting process and improvesaccess to accurate and timely patient information for clinicians anddecision makers by utilizing 3G wireless technology, building uponand strengthening the existing Community Health Information TrackingSystem, an electronic medical records system developed by theUniversity of the Philippines, Manila.
'Wireless Access for Health empowers local health care providersthrough enhanced patient care services and efficient patient visitsusing an open-source health information system. It empowers localcommunities by promoting participatory health planning among localleaders, health managers and providers, thereby transforming clientsand patients into partners,' said Crispinita Valdez, director of theDepartment of Health Information Management System Division.
'The WAH initiative is a means to deliver quality health servicesto clients, aid health workers and local and national governments bypromoting data-driven planning and sound decision-making,' saidRicardo Ramos of the Tarlac Provincial Health Office. 'Timelytransmission of complete and reliable health data to local andnational health agencies and government leaders facilitates policyanalysis and allows faster program implementation, assisting localleaders and health workers in identifying and preventing diseaseoutbreaks through preventive care, strategic health promotions andadvocacy campaigns.'
'WAH demonstrates the extraordinary benefits that 3G wirelessconnectivity can bring to underserved communities, particularly inthe area of wireless health care,' said Mantosh Malhotra, directorof Business Development for Qualcomm. 'We hope that what has beenachieved so far will encourage the expansion of this innovativenetwork to benefit hundreds of thousands throughout thePhilippines.'
The expansion of the WAH project also includes province-widepilot testing of the Mobile Midwife and SPASMS (Synchronized PatientAlert via SMS) applications.
Mobile Midwife enables data to be captured electronically duringpatient visits via smartphones, tablets or laptops and instantlysends patient data to the CHITS system. SPASMS is an automated alertand health promotions system that sends patients information relatedto health milestones such as for prenatal care and childimmunization.
WAH is made possible through the collaboration of public-privatepartners: agencies of the Philippines Department of Health,including the National Epidemiology Center, the InformationManagement Service and the Center for Health Development for Region3; the Provincial Government of Tarlac; local Tarlac governmentunits; Qualcomm's Wireless Reach initiative; RTI International;Smart Communications; Tarlac State University; the University of thePhilippines Manila-National Telehealth Center; and the U.S. Agencyfor International Development.
Qualcomm is a provider of mobile technologies.
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