INFOMED: LESSON 1
A computer is an electronic machine that operates under
the control of instructions stored in its own memory
that can accept data (input), manipulate the data
according to specified rules (process), produce results
(output), and store the results for future use (storage).
A computer contains many electric, electronic, and
mechanical components known as hardware.
Data is a collection of unorganized facts, figures,
and symbols. Computers process data to create
information.
Information is data that is organized, meaningful, and
useful. Examples are a paycheck or a student grade
report. Data entered into a computer is called input.
The processed results are called output. The cycle of
input, process, output, and storage is called the
information processing cycle.
Components of a Computer
★ Hardware is the electric, electronic, and
mechanical equipment that makes up a
computer.
★ An input device allows a user to enter data and
commands into the memory of a computer. Six
commonly used input devices are keyboard,
mouse, scanner, webcam, microphone, and
touch screen.
★ An output device conveys information
generated by a computer to the user. Three
commonly used output devices are a printer, a
monitor, and speakers. The system unit,
sometimes called a chassis, is a box-like case
made from metal or plastic that houses the
computer circuitry. The two main components
of the motherboard are the central processing
unit (CPU), also called a processor, which
interprets and carries out the instructions that
operate a computer, including computations;
and memory, which is a series of electronic
elements that temporarily holds the data and
instructions while the processor is executing
them.
★ A storage device records and retrieves data,
information, and instructions to and from a
storage medium. Common storage devices are
a floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, CD-ROM
drive, Zip® drive, CD-RW drive, DVD-ROM
drive, and DVD+RW drive.
★ Communications devices allow computer users
to exchange items such as data, instructions,
and information with another computer.
Advantages and Disadvantages of using Computers
A computer’s power is derived from its capability of
performing the information processing cycle operations
with speed, reliability, consistency, and accuracy; its
capacity to store huge amounts of data, instructions, and
information; and its ability to communicate with other
computers.
Green computing involves reducing the electricity
consumed and environmental waste generated when
using a computer. Strategies include: recycling,
regulating manufacturing processes, extending the
life of computers and immediately donating or
properly disposing of replaced computers.
Networks and the Internet
A network is a collection of computers and devices
connected via communications media. Computers are
networked so users can share resources such as hardware
devices, software programs, data, and information.
When your computer connects to a network, you are
online.
The world’s largest network is the Internet, which is a
worldwide collection of networks that link together
millions of computers. The Internet is used to send
messages to other users obtain information, shop
for goods and services, meet or converse with
people around the world, and access sources of
entertainment and leisure. The World Wide Web,
which contains billions of Web pages with text, graphics,
sound, video, and links to other Web pages, is one of the
more popular services of the Internet
People use the Internet for a variety of reasons:
communication, research and access information,
shop, bank and investment, online trading,
entertainment, downloading music, sharing videos
and web applications.
A social networking Web site encourages members to
share their interests, ideas, stories, photos, music, and
videos with other registered users.
Types of Computer Software
Software, also called a computer program, is the series of
instructions that tells the hardware of a computer
what to do. Software can be categorized into two types:
system software and application software.
System software controls the operation of the computer
and its devices and serves as the interface between a user
and the computer’s hardware. Two types of system
software are the operating system (OS), which contains
instructions that coordinate the activities of hardware
devices; and a utility program, which performs specific
tasks usually related to managing a computer.
Application software performs specific tasks for users,
such as creating word processing documents,
spreadsheets, databases, or presentation graphics. A
computer programmer writes software programs, often
following a plan developed by a systems analyst.
Installing is the process of setting up software to work
with the computer, printer, and other hardware.
Categories of Computers
The seven major categories of computers are personal
computers, mobile computers and mobile devices,
game consoles, servers, mainframes, supercomputers
and embedded computers. These categories are based
on differences in size, speed, processing capabilities, and
price.
★ A personal computer can perform all of its
input, processing, output, and storage activities
by itself. Two categories of personal computers
are the desktop computer, which is designed
to fit entirely on or under a desk or table, and
the notebook computer, which is small
enough to fit on your lap.
★ Mobile Computer is a personal computer you
can carry from place to place and Mobile Device
is a computing device small enough to hold in
your hand. Examples of mobile computers and
mobile devices are Notebook computer,
Tablet PC, Smart phone, PDA, Handheld
computer, Portable media player and
Digital camera.
★ A game console is a mobile computing device
designed for single-player or multiplayer video
games
★ A server, formerly called a minicomputer, is
larger and more powerful than a workstation
computer and often can support up to 4,000
connected users. It controls access to the
hardware, software, and other resources on a
network.
★ A mainframe is a large, expensive, very
powerful computer that can handle hundreds
or thousands of connected users
simultaneously.
 ★ A supercomputer — the fastest, most
powerful, and most expensive computer —
is capable of processing more than 12 trillion
instructions in a single second.
★ An embedded computer is a special-purpose
computer that functions as a component in a
larger product such as consumer electronics,
home automation devices, automobiles,
process controllers and robotics and computer
devices and office machines.
Examples of Computer Usage
Every day, people depend on different types of
computers for a variety of applications.
A home user relies on the computer for entertainment;
communications, Web access, and e-mail; reference,
research, and education; personal finance; and
productivity software.
A small office/home office (SOHO) includes small
companies (fewer than 50 employees) and self-employed
individuals working from home. These users access the
Web; utilize productivity and specialized software;
and use e-mail and communications software.
Mobile users have notebook computers often
equipped with a modem so they can work while away
from the office, home, or school. They often use
presentation software and other productivity
software. A large business user utilizes computers to run
its business by using productivity software,
communications software, automated systems for most
departments in the company, and large networks.
A power user requires the capabilities of
workstations or other powerful computers to design
plans, produce publications, create graphic art, and work
with multimedia that includes text, graphics, sound,
video, and other media elements.
INFOMED: LESSON 2
In its World Health Report 2000, WHO released a single
framework with six clearly defined building blocks and
priorities which are necessary in strengthening health
systems and improving the overall health outcomes.
WHO HEALTH SYSTEM FRAMEWORK
Health System is “the combination of resources,
organization, financing, and management that culminate
in the delivery of health services to the population
(Roemer, 1991). It refers to all the organizations,
institutions, resources, and people whose primary
purpose is to improve health (WHO, 2000).
Why do Health Systems Matter?
Health systems consist of all the people and actions
whose primary purpose is to improve health. They may
be integrated and centrally directed, but often they are
not. After centuries as small-scale, largely private, or
charitable, mostly ineffectual entities, they have grown
explosively in this century as knowledge has been gained
and applied. They have contributed enormously to
better health, but their contribution could be greater
still, especially for the poor. Failure to achieve that
potential is due more to systemic failings than to
technical limitations. It is therefore urgent to assess
current performance and to judge how health systems
can reach their potential (WHO, 2000).
Goals of a Health Systems
The three main goals for the health system are health,
responsiveness, and fairness in financial
contribution. These intrinsic goals should be routinely
monitored by all countries and should form the main
basis for assessing health system performance in
programs facilitated by WHO (Murray and Frenk,
2000).
How Well Do Health Systems Perform?
Better health is unquestionably the primary goal of a
health system. But because health care can be
catastrophically costly and the need for it unpredictable,
mechanisms for sharing risk and providing financial
protection are important. A second goal of health
systems is therefore fairness in financial contribution. A
third goal – responsiveness to people’s expectations
about non-health matters – reflects the importance of
respecting people’s dignity, autonomy, and the
confidentiality of information (WHO, 2000).
The World Health Organization has engaged in a major
exercise to obtain and analyze data in order to assess how
far health systems in WHO Member States are achieving
these goals for which they should be accountable, and
how efficiently they are using their resources in doing so.
By focusing on a few universal functions that health
systems undertake, this report provides an evidence base
to assist policymakers improve health system
performance.
The Philippine Health System
The health reform initiatives carried out over the years in
the Philippines were primarily focused on these areas of
concern: health service delivery, health regulation,
and health financing. These health reforms aimed at
addressing issues such as poor accessibility, inequity, and
inefficiency of the Philippines health system. Here are
some of the government policies and laws in health care
systems in the Philippines:
1970: Primary Health Care for all - Developed a
largely centralized government-funded and operated
health care system.
1979: Adoption of Primary Health Care Strategy
(LOI 949) - promoted participatory management of the
local health care system.
1982: Reorganization of DOH (EO 851) - integrated
the components of health care delivery into its field
operations.
1986: Milk Code 1986 - Prevention and nutrition to
promote breastfeeding
1988: The Generics Act (RA 6675) – ushered the
writing of prescriptions using the generic name of the
drug.
1991: Local Government Code (RA 7160) –
transferred the responsibility of providing health service
to local government units.
1995: National Health Insurance Act (RA 7875) –
instituted a national health insurance mechanism for
financial protection with priority given to the poor.
1996: Health Sector Reform Agenda - ordered the
major organizational restructuring of the DOH to
improve the way health care is delivered, regulated and
financed.
2005: FOURmula One (F1) for Health – adopted an
operational framework to undertake reforms with speed,
precision, and effective coordination and to improve the
Philippine health system.
2008: Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality
Medicines Act (RA 9502) – promoted and ensured
access to affordable quality drugs and medicines for all.
2010: Kalusugang Pangkalahatan or Universal
Health Care (AO 2010 – 0036) – provided universal
health coverage and access to quality health care for all
Filipinos.
2013: Sin Taxes for Health: Generating extra revenue
for the Department of Health by discouraging harmful
consumption of alcohol and tobacco.
2019: Universal Health Care Law - Enrolling all
Filipino citizens automatically in the National Health
Insurance Program administered by PhilHealth. All
Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and
affordable health care services.
Department of Health (DOH)
The Department of Health (DOH) holds the overall
technical authority on health as it is a national health
policymaker and regulatory institution. Basically, the
DOH has three major roles in the health sector: (1)
leadership in health; (2) enabler and capacity
builder; and (3) administrator of specific services. Its
mandate is to develop national plans, technical
standards, and guidelines on health. Aside from being
the regulator of all health services and products, the
DOH is the provider of special tertiary health care
services and technical assistance to health providers and
stakeholders.
While pursuing its vision, the DOH adheres to the
highest values of work, which are:
❖ Integrity – The Department believes in upholding
truth and pursuing honesty, accountability, and
consistency in performing its functions.
❖ Excellence – The DOH continuously strives for the
best by fostering innovation, effectiveness and efficiency,
pro-action, dynamism, and openness to change.
❖ Compassion and respect for human dignity –
Whilst DOH upholds the quality of life, respect for
human dignity is encouraged by working with sympathy
and benevolence for the people in need.
❖ Commitment – With all our hearts and minds, the
Department commits to achieve its vision for the health
and development of future generations.
❖ Professionalism – The DOH performs its functions
in accordance with the highest ethical standards,
principles of accountability, and full responsibility.
❖ Teamwork – The DOH employees work together
with a result-oriented mindset.
❖ Stewardship of the health of the people – Being
stewards of health for the people, the Department shall
pursue sustainable development and care for the
environment since it impinges on the health of the
Filipinos.
Department of Health Vision & Mission
VISION:
Filipinos are among the healthiest people in Southeast
Asia
by 2022, and Asia by 2040
MISSION:
To lead the country in the development of a productive,
resilient, equitable and people-centered health system
Leadership and Governance
The Department of Health (DOH) is the lead agency for
Philippine health care. According to its mandate (E.O.
No. 119, Sec. 3), the DOH is responsible for the
a. formulation and development of national policies,
guidelines, standards, and manual of operations for
health services and programs;
b. issuance of rules and regulations, licenses, and
accreditations;
c. Promulgation of national health standards, goals,
priorities, and indicators; and
d. Development of special health programs and
projects, and advocacy for legislation on health policies
and programs.
INFOMED: LESSON 3
HEALTH CARE
Health is a fundamental human right as cited in the
Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978. The Declaration of
Alma-Ata was adopted at the International Conference
on Primary Health Care (PHC), Almaty (formerly
Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan (formerly Kazakh Soviet
Socialist Republic).
It expressed the need for urgent action by all
governments, all health and development workers, and
the world community to protect and promote the health
of all people. It was the first international declaration
underlining the importance of primary health care. The
primary health care approach has since then been
accepted by member countries of the World Health
Organization (WHO) as the key to achieving the goal of
"Health for All" but only in developing countries at
first. This applied to all other countries five years later.
The Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 emerged as a major
milestone of the twentieth century in the field of public
health, and it identified primary health care as the key to
the attainment of the goal of "Health for All" around the
globe.
Meanwhile, a common concern of many countries,
including both developed and developing ones, is the
gross inequality in the people’s health status, which is
not socially, economically, and politically acceptable.
Thus, the government of each country has the duty and
responsibility to institute adequate measures to protect
and promote its people’s health, and thus achieve a
better quality of life (Ebuen et.al, 2019).
For better understanding, the following concepts under
health care are defined:
Health care system is defined by Miller & Keane
(1987) as “an organized plan of health services.
Health care delivery, as defined by
Williams-Tungpalan (1981), is the “rendering of
health services to the people.”
Health care delivery system, also as defined by
Williams-Tungpalan (1981), is “the network of health
facilities and personnel which carries out the task of
rendering health care to the people.”
PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Primary Health Care (PHC) deals with social policy
targeting health equity with the goal of better health for
all. The five key elements to achieve these goals as
identified by WHO are as follows:
➢ universal coverage to reduce exclusion and
social disparities in health;
➢ service delivery organized around people's
needs and expectations;
➢ public policy that integrates health into all
sectors;
➢ leadership that enhances collaborative models
of policy dialogue; and
➢ Increased stakeholder participation.
Eight Essential Elements of PHC
1. Education concerning prevailing health problems and
the methods of identifying, preventing and controlling
them
2. Locally endemic disease prevention and control
3. Expanded program of immunization against major
infectious diseases
4. Maternal and child health care including family
planning
5. Essential drugs arrangement
6. Nutritional food supplement, an adequate supply of
safe and basic nutrition
7. Treatment of communicable and non-communicable
disease and promotion of mental health
8. Safe water and sanitation
Other Elements of Primary Health Care
1. Expended options of immunizations
2. Reproductive health needs
3. Provision of essential technologies for health
4. Health promotion
5. Prevention and control of non-communicable
diseases
6. Food safety and provision of selected food
supplements
Principles of Primary Health Care
The basic objectives to launch and sustain primary
health care as part of the comprehensive health system
are as follows:
❖ Improve the level of health care of the
community
❖ Promote favorable population growth
structure
❖ Reduce the morbidity and mortality rates
especially among infants and children
❖ Reduce prevalence of preventable,
communicable, and other diseases
❖ Improve basic sanitation
❖ Extend essential health services specially to
underserved sectors
❖ Develop the capability of the community
to become self-reliant
❖ Encourage the contribution of other
sectors to the social and economic
development of the community
❖ Provide equitable distribution of health
care
❖ Ensure community participation and
monitor adequacy and distribution of
health workers who are supported locally
and at the referral levels
❖ Recognize that the formal health sector
needs other sectors in the promotion of
health (multi-sectoral approach)
❖ Use the appropriate technology which are
accessible, feasible, affordable, and
culturally acceptable to the community
Management Principles in Relation to Organizing
1. Authority, responsibility, and accountability
a. Authority refers to the formal and legitimate
right of a manager to issue orders, make
decisions, and allocate resources to achieve
desired outcomes of the organization.
b. Responsibility is the duty of the employee to
perform the assigned tasks and activities.
c. Accountability means reporting and
justification of task outcomes to higher
management by those people with authority.
2. Types of authority
a. Line authority managers issue orders to their
subordinates and are responsible for the results.
b. Functional authority is for managers that have
power only over a specific set of activities.
c. Staff authority is given to specialists in their
areas of expertise. The staff manager simply
advises, recommends, and counsels.
3. Centralization, decentralization, and
formalization
a. Centralization refers to the concentration of
planning and decision-making to the top of the
organization.
b. Decentralization refers to the delegation of
planning and decision-making to the lower
branches of the organization.
c. Formalization refers to a written
documentation provided for the direct control
of the employees.
4. Staffing
a. Assign individuals to respective positions
identified in a management plan
b. Assess required competencies through
● identification of the key result areas
(KRA’s) per major activity
● determination of competencies and
qualifications
c. Recruit qualified personnel
d. Improve existing services and programs by
● reviewing and adjusting the
requirements accordingly
● matching the competency
requirements vis-a-avis the
responsible personnel assigned to the
activity
The Philippine Health Care System
The Philippine health care system is “a complex set of
organizations interacting to provide an array of
health services.” It has progressed due to challenges
encountered over time. In 1991, the local government
units (LGUs) took over the management of health
service delivery but the issue of fragmentation has not
been absolutely addressed. Health workforce must deal
with the pressing issues of underemployed workers,
limited resources, and unequal distribution. Meanwhile,
the private sector which is said to comprise 50% of the
overall health system is strongly involved in improving
the delivery of health services, but the government’s
power to regulate should be optimized (Ebuen et.al,
2019).
The Department of Health Mandate (E.O. No. 119,
Sec. 3)
The DOH has the responsibility to create, plan,
implement, and systematize national health policies,
advocacies, and programs. The primary function is to
promote, protect, and preserve or restore people’s
health by giving health services and by monitoring and
motivating health service providers.
LEVELS OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
1. Primary level of health care facilities
a. Units operated by the DOH which include the
rural health units, their respective sub-centers,
chest clinics, malaria eradication units, and
schistosomiasis control units;
b. Puericulture center operated by the League of
Puericulture Centers;
c. Units operated by the Philippine Tuberculosis
Society such as the tuberculosis clinics and
hospitals;
d. Clinics operated by Philippine Medical
Association;
e. Clinics operated by large industrial firms for
their employees;
f. Health centers and community hospitals
operated by the Philippine Medical Care
Commission; and
g. Other health facilitates operated by voluntary
religious and civic groups.
2. Secondary level of health care facilities
These are the smaller, non-departmentalized
hospitals. These are emergency and regional hospitals
were adequate treatments are offered for
patients with symptomatic stages of diseases.
3. Tertiary level of health care facilities
These are the specialized national hospitals which offer
highly technological and specialized knowledge,
facilities and personnel are treated here.
INFOMED: LESSON 4
INFOMED: LESSON 5