Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118474

Elmer Soriano, MD, Philippine Tuberculosis Initiatives for the Private Sector (Philippine TIPS)/Chemonics International Inc, 1608 West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Center, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605, Philippines and Marilou P. Costello, PhD, Philippine Tuberculosis Initiatives for the Private Sector, Chemonics International Inc., Unit 1608 West Tower, PSEC Building, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605, Philippines, 6326877135, mcostello@philtips.com.

Background: Philippines devolution of health system in 1992 fragmented the system into over 1,600 autonomous cities/towns, a challenge in the control of TB. In 1996-2001, Philippine Department of Health (DOH) promoted DOTS and trained all primary care providers in the public sector. Devolution-induced gaps left some 12,000 single-practice physicians in the private sector untapped as partners in the control of TB. DOTSLink is a proposed common interface between patients, private providers, local government units, the National Health Insurance Program and DOH. Design & Methods: Needs assessment by key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a review of secondary data were conducted across five 5 cities among single practice physicians. Results: Thirty key informant interviews, and ten focus group discussions results were reviewed. Percieved DOTS barriers: (1) unstandardized handling in public sector, lack of treatment partners, erratic availability of subsidized drugs, and difficulty of inter-LGU referrals for out-of-town patients. The ideal setups for a DOTS network was a seamless interface between public sector, private sector, and civil society; across LGU boundaries; and major agencies in TB services. Conclusions: The multi-stakeholder collaboration required in DOTS pose challenges in the highly fragmented health system. A DOTSLink design a networking solution provides organizational, technical, financial, and informational linkages. Through DOTSLink's unified standards, branding, information systems, and referral systems, patients will be able to navigate through a seamless network of physicians, pharmacies, microscopists, case managers, and community health workers in both the private and public sectors to receive the full DOTS treatment.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• List four types of health care-givers in the community who participate in the DOTS Network
• Describe the main layers of the DOTS Network
• Articulate how a DOTS Network addresses the gaps left by a DOTS Center

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Handout (.ppt format,