A Building Blocks Approach to Implementing a Telehealth Clinic Model to Improve Primary Care Access in the Philippines: A Large-scale Pilot Project

Abstract

A limited number of healthcare workers and cost constraints limit primary care access in the Philippines. To test telehealth as a low-cost and effective solution, a large-scale digital health clinic was implemented in the selected urban and rural communities. In collaboration with local authorities, our pilot telemedicine clinic was implemented for 3 days in January 2023. Patients were registered and their vitals were assessed before they were seen by a remote United States-based licensed physician who provided recommendations for treatment. Medical devices with real-time streaming capabilities, such as electronic stethoscopes, were utilized to enhance remote examinations. A total of 322 patients were treated at the telehealth clinic, of which 218 completed a population health survey. A large proportion of patients had a doctor visit more than 12 months prior (39.2%) and had not received a dental examination (86.3%) or an eye examination within the past year (84.4%). Most patients had access to a smartphone (69.7%). A lower proportion had access to an internet connection that was sufficient for video calls (57.9%) or a laptop (8.5%). Our clinic demonstrated that telehealth is a feasible solution to improve primary care access for disadvantaged communities in the Philippines.