Objective. The primary objective of this study was to explore the acceptability of task shifting to volunteer barangay health workers (BHWs) in the implementation of community-based Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) in the Philippines.Methods. This study employed a descriptive qualitative study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twelve stakeholders. The study was conducted in the urban city of Marikina which has a high prevalence of diabetes, and high death rates for diabetes and cerebrovascular disease relative to the regional and national rates. A purposive sampling technique was used in selecting participants.Results. Task shifting Diabetes Self-Management Education to BHWs is generally acceptable to the participants.Expanding the roles of BHWs should be supported by adequate training, compensation, supervision, and financial and non-financial incentives. Ensuring adequate support and resources to execute BHWs’ duties and responsibilities as volunteer health workers can promote the effective implementation of task shifting DSME in primary care.Conclusion. Findings from this study provide preliminary evidence of the acceptability of task shifting to BHWs in the management of diabetes mellitus. The study highlights the importance of institutionalizing task shifting in the health system to promote acceptance and sustainability

Introduction: Smoking produces significant health problems affecting millions of people globally. It is the largest single cause of preventable deaths. This study aims to describe the characteristics of Filipino adolescent smokers aged 13–15 years and determine the factors associated with the...

Background: The way patients perceive nurses’ caring behaviors can potentially impact patient outcomes and satisfaction. Studies have revealed incongruence between nurses’ and patients’ perceptions with regard to which behaviors are considered caring. Objective: This study aimed to conduct a cross-cultural validation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI-16), a self-report questionnaire, from English to Filipino. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design involving forward and back-translation with bilingual translators, expert validation, and a survey in a sample of patients and nurses was used. The psychometric evaluation used a sample of 142 staff nurses and 180 hospitalized patients. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency reliability, and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The Filipino version of the CBI-16 (CBI-16-FIL) had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.95) and a unidimensional factor structure (accounted for 85% of total variance). The CBI-16-FIL was found to be a valid, reliable, and unidimensional tool to measure the perceptions of nurse caring behaviors in the Philippines. Conclusion: The CBI-16-FIL can be used to measure perceptions of nurse caring behaviors. There is a need for further studies involving other cultures, dyadic samples of nurses and patients, and larger sample sizes.

Objective. To determine the perceptions of persons with tuberculosis (TB) and health workers on Care TB – a mobile application for the community-led monitoring (CLM) of TB services. Methods. We used a qualitative research method. Six people with tuberculosis and ten health workers were chosen through purposive sampling for semi-structured interviews. The narrative data produced from the interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis in order to uncover salient themes and patterns. Results. The community-led monitoring mobile application was shown to be acceptable both to TB healthcare providers and patients. It enhances information access and streamlines the process of reporting care barriers. The application also allows persons with TB to interact with one another, potentially eliminating stigma and discrimination. Potential challenges to implementing the CLM program include issues with internet connectivity, costs, and human resources. Conclusion. This study provides preliminary evidence of the acceptability and perceived feasibility of a mobile application for the community-led monitoring of TB services. For the CLM initiative to be scaled up across the country, more financial and technical support is required.