Article type
Abstract
Background
The Philippines enacted Republic Act 11223 “Universal Health Care Act” (UHC) to serve as the policy anchor for the attainment of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The Act indicated the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), leading the country’s Department of Health (DOH) to develop the National Practice Guidelines Program (NPGP) as the basis of policies, standards, and other evidence-informed decisions for functional and efficient linking of health service provision from primary to tertiary care, across different levels of facilities and care settings and across a comprehensive spectrum of care, for all life stages. The DOH expanded the NPGP with the utilization of evidence to include high-quality national and international research, practice guidelines, and guidance documents for policymaking and implementation for service delivery. Part of the NPGP products is the Omnibus Health Guidelines (OHG), which serves as the overarching policy issuance integrating key policy provisions governing various health programs and integrating various standards of care.
Objective
Discuss the development process of the OHG
Methodology
Burden of disease, policy gaps, and availability of high-quality national CPGs were the bases for inclusion of diseases in the OHG. Stakeholders were consulted for prioritization of diseases. Relevant policies, national and international practice guidelines, and guidance documents were scoped and appraised. Recommendations from high-quality references were translated as standards-of-care statements intended to be actionable by primary healthcare workers.
Results
The OHG contains recommendations applicable to the pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations, covering prevention to palliation, sourced from international and national policies and high-quality CPGs and guidance documents.
Implications
The OHG is integral to the current and future development of equitable primary care benefit packages for health financing and for nominations and assessment of novel health technologies. Local governments utilized the OHG through local policy formulation and development of referral pathways for coordinated care across all levels of care.
The Philippines enacted Republic Act 11223 “Universal Health Care Act” (UHC) to serve as the policy anchor for the attainment of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The Act indicated the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), leading the country’s Department of Health (DOH) to develop the National Practice Guidelines Program (NPGP) as the basis of policies, standards, and other evidence-informed decisions for functional and efficient linking of health service provision from primary to tertiary care, across different levels of facilities and care settings and across a comprehensive spectrum of care, for all life stages. The DOH expanded the NPGP with the utilization of evidence to include high-quality national and international research, practice guidelines, and guidance documents for policymaking and implementation for service delivery. Part of the NPGP products is the Omnibus Health Guidelines (OHG), which serves as the overarching policy issuance integrating key policy provisions governing various health programs and integrating various standards of care.
Objective
Discuss the development process of the OHG
Methodology
Burden of disease, policy gaps, and availability of high-quality national CPGs were the bases for inclusion of diseases in the OHG. Stakeholders were consulted for prioritization of diseases. Relevant policies, national and international practice guidelines, and guidance documents were scoped and appraised. Recommendations from high-quality references were translated as standards-of-care statements intended to be actionable by primary healthcare workers.
Results
The OHG contains recommendations applicable to the pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations, covering prevention to palliation, sourced from international and national policies and high-quality CPGs and guidance documents.
Implications
The OHG is integral to the current and future development of equitable primary care benefit packages for health financing and for nominations and assessment of novel health technologies. Local governments utilized the OHG through local policy formulation and development of referral pathways for coordinated care across all levels of care.