Nurse Alvin DakisCountry Chairperson

International Youth Council PilipinasHealth Committee Chair, Youth & Students Sectoral Council

National Anti-Poverty Commission, Office of the President

iiBLOG BLOG forfor HEALTHHEALTH

Increasing Access to Health Information through Blogging

iiBLOG BLOG forfor HEALTHHEALTH

• Quick Facts on Health PHL:– Population: 91,983,000– Universal Health Care (Aquino Health Agenda)– 60% Filipinos die without seeing a health

professional– 40-50% out-of-pocket expenditures on health

(2007)– 70% could not afford to pay for health services– 85% Filipinos are covered by PhilHealth

6 Building Blocks of Health

• Health Governance

• Health Services

• Health Human Resources

• Health Regulation

• Health Information Systems

• Health Financing

WhoWho can do can do healthhealth blogging? blogging?

• Health care professionals

• Health policy advocates

• Optimum Health & Specific Diseases advocates

• Individuals with testimonies in treatment & cure

• Basically anybody whose interest is in health

Why Why HEALTHHEALTH Blogging? Blogging?• Increase access to health information via the

internet;

• Share correct & up-to-date health information;

• Professional development & scientific updates;

• Share personal experience from certain treatment process;

• Conduct product/medical technology testing;

• Create health advisory articles; and

• Update heath policy & reforms

TypesTypes of of HealthHealth Blogging Blogging• Diet Management / Food Blogs

• Physical Fitness Blogs

• Specific Diseases Info Blogs

• Health Professionals’ Commentary Blogs

• Professional organizations’ Blogs

• Health Policy Info Blogs

ImplicationsImplications of Health Blogging of Health Blogging • Health information should be correct;

• Health information should be ethical;

• Health professionals should consider ethical standards when blogging especially in disclosing patients’ cases & info;

• Health information should be guided by national laws on health care;

ImplicationsImplications of Health Blogging of Health Blogging• Blogging personal health experiences still

affect public opinion about health care services and processes;

• Health misinformation affects readers and may cause to spread information which they thought came from verified sources.

What What HealthHealth Blogging is Blogging is NOTNOT• Misinforming readers about facts;

• Disclosing confidential patient information;

• Using one’s blog as a tool to accuse someone of contracting with a communicable disease;

• Writing biased information to a certain company (unless hired/contracted)

Challenges & Challenges & OpportunitiesOpportunities AheadAhead

• Intra/inter regulation & continuous fact checking

• In bounds of professional & ethical practice for health service providers

• No organized health society for Filipino health bloggers

• Few identified health bloggers

• Opportunities for travel, work, etc.

iiBLOG BLOG forfor HEALTHHEALTHVisit my Health Blog at:

http://www.alvindakis.blogspot.com

E-mail me at: alvin.dakis@gmail.org

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!