Paz Y Ente

Fieldwork
Report
PAGULAYAN, Vann Andrei F.
 About the Consultation
Father (25/M) and Mother (26/F), middle income,
accompanying first child (10mos/M)
• Infant vaccination schedule
• RHU staff (mother’s aunt) called to remind of
schedule, RHU itself was not packed when its not
‘peak hours’
• Clean facilities with air conditioning
• HCWs were generally accommodating and friendly
since they knew the Mother
• Overall experience was easy-going and
welcoming, able to accomplish consultation
goals
• Contrasted with father’s own municipality,
where they’re ‘grumpy and generally
dismissive’ of people seeking care.
 Did your perceptions on primary care in the PH
change after the interview?
People prefer to go
hospitals rather than
YES Decentralization
encourages tailored care
RHUs Depends on how HCWs treat and are
Not necessarily. The RHU can be proactive treated. In terms of RHUs, it depends on the
and provide basic services to offload hospitals priorities and funding of the LGU. A
when they are managed appropriately and given mismanaged RHU can also mean unmet
ample resources competencies and small aggravations in
resources and pay can lead to inefficiencies and
frustrations.
People avoid care since its expensive
Dependent on context. Hospitals? Most often yes. But primary
care facilities are equipped to provide this. The interview implied
that its possible to be treated dismissively and overall discourage
health-seeking behaviors when you don’t have an acquaintance in
some RHUs and other facilities)
Does the patient experience you gathered reflect that of the majority of
Filipinos?

•
NO The couple had the benefit of the doubt of knowing
someone from the facility.
• Common to have connections influence the service given,
since the father noted how drastic the difference was to
another RHU.
• Not all RHUs are equally equipped with the same level of
competency and resources.
• Lack of proactive care (i.e. RHU calling for reminders,
going door to door to check on family health, etc.) and
polarizing patient experiences often make people forego
going to health facilities, making continuity of health
monitoring as well as early interventional care difficult.
 Factors that Affect the Filipino Patient
Experience
Organizational
• Decentralization. Varying
prioritization of healthcare in
different municipalities =
different experiences with
care. (Interview highlighted
desire for patients to be able
to be received equitably with
non-redundant records when
seeking care from nearby
municipalities.
• Resources. Availability of
medicine and appropriate
information to guide health
decisions.
Environmental
• Geographical
restrictrictions. More
common in provinces wherein
RHUs of adequate resources
are not as reachable for
marginalized communities.
• ‘Ambiance’ of Facility and
Staff. A more approachable
and friendly experience
encourages health-seeking
behaviors and continuity
better than a dismissive and
toxic experience.
Systemic
• Socioeconomic factors.
Patient’s income usually
correlates to educational
attainment and their level of
psychosocial empowerment.
Disadvantaged communities
usually don’t seek care due to
costs and discriminating past
experiences.
• Funding. Resource allocation
may not be aligned to the
community’s needs when
there’s no proper needs
assessments and discourse.