The RxBox program is designed to provide better access to life-saving health care service in isolated and disadvantaged communities nationwide. It is one among the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) efforts for a “Smarter Philippines”.

In 2007, RxBox played a very important role in the development of the National Telehealth Service Program (NTSP), currently one of the Department of Health’s (DOH) efforts towards Universal Health Care.

The RxBox program consists of a biomedical device and builds capacities of frontline health workers on telemedicine, the use of electronic medical records and the RxBox telemedicine device.

The RxBox supports the country’s race towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on improving maternal and neonatal health services. It supports also the campaign to control Non Communicable Diseases, major causes of death and diseases in the country.

WHAT RxBox Does?

• Blood Pressure Monitor – measures the patient’s blood pressure and detect heart and blood vessels problems, especially hypertension, a disease which can also worsen other chronic lifestyle disease conditions.
• Pulse Oxymeter – assesses the level of oxygen in the patient’s blood and can help detect lung and heart problems, the leading causes of death of Filipinos.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) – monitors the heart’s movement to pump blood throughout the body. This is helpful for those with acute and chronic heart problems, including pregnant mothers with heart disease.
• Fetal Heart Monitor – measures the baby’s heart rate while in the womb. It can help detect the baby’s difficulty at critical times of the pregnancy and delivery.
• Maternal Tacometer – assesses the strength of contraction of the mother’s uterus especially during delivery. It can detect problems that can lead to distress to both the mother and her baby.
• Improves documentation of patient information using its CHITS-electronic medical record.
• Through telemedicine, as part of the National Telehealth Service program, links the remote primary care health workers with clinical specialists in hospitals for better patient care.
• Reduces unnecessary travels and hospitalizations of patients.
• Improves the health referral system in their area through telemedicine CHITS-Community health Information and Tracking System.
• Lack of medicines and other life-saving technology
• Maldistribution of health workers
• Geographic isolation
• Commercialized medicine: expensive and out of reach of the poor Filipino.

SOLUTION:

- Maximize established benefits of Information & Communications Technology in Health Care      

- Maximizes use of health technology, enables communication and connects patients and health providers. 

The theme of the conference is "Higher Education: Forerunner in Meeting Diverse Global Challenges" which aimed to promote healthy exchange of ideas from researchers of different disciplines throughout the country, and to broaden understanding on the important role of higher education coping with the many challenges of the present time. This conference facilitated the evaluation and dissemination of research output and identified and formulated policies and action plans that would address said concerns.

One of the Guest Speakers was Dr. Maria Lourdes K. Otayza, Chief of Hospital III of Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital & Medical Center (MMMH&MC), City of Batac, Ilocos Norte and the present Chairman of the Region 1 Health Research & Development Consortium (R1HRDC). She focused on the topic, "Enhancing Practical Solutions on Health Problems Through Conventional Biotechnology in Drugs and Medical Plants" and elaborated on its rationale when she discussed about the PCHRD's National Unified Health Research Agenda for 2011-2016 which covers Drug Discovery & Development, Development of Diagnostic Kits for Priority Diseases, Genomics and Molecular Technology, Functional Foods, Hospital Equipment and Biomedical Devices, ICT in Health and Chronobiology.

The main objective of her talk was to challenge the audience, composed mostly of state university faculties and academic researchers all over the Philippines to encourage their students in health - related research.

R1HRDC SALUTES FORMER CHAIR REGIONAL DIRECTOR LEONARDO N. QUITOS, JR. ELECTS DR. MA. LOURDES K. OTAYZA AS NEW HEAD

The members of the Region 1 Health Research and Development Consortium (R1HRDC) recognized the sterling leadership of former consortium’s chair, Dir. Leonardo N. Quitos,  Jr., of the National Economic and Development Authority – Cordillera Administrative  Region (NEDA-CAR) in a Turn Over Ceremony of Region 1 Health Research and  Development Consortium (R1HRDC) Chairmanship and CY 2011 Performance Assessment  and CY 2012 Work Planning Workshop held last 19 January 2012, at the Nueva Segovia  Consortium of Cooperatives (NSCC) Plaza, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur. 

Dir. Quitos was formerly the NEDA 1 Regional Director before he was reassigned to NEDA-CAR last November 28, 2011. Serving as the longest chairperson of the consortium for eleven years, he had contributed in the growth and development of the R1HRDC by revitalizing its operation in 2000, crafting its operations manual (first RHRDC to develop among the RHRDCs across the country), pushed for the trainings of pool of health researchers in the region, chaired the Search Committee for Northern Luzon for the Best in Health Mentor Award of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) for several years and among others. The officials of the consortium together with the representatives from the Philippine Council for Health Research and development conferred the plaque of recognition to Dir. Quitos.

Dir. Quitos although now reassigned at the NEDA Cordillera Administrative Region had still opened his service to the consortium especially in facilitating the conduct of team building activities for the R1HRDC.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ma. Lourdes K. Otayza of the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH&MC) of Batac City, Ilocos Norte was installed as the new chair of the consortium via unanimous decision. She will be assisted by her co-chairperson, Dr. Leo B. Solis of the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (VMUF) of San Carlos Pangasinan. 

The R1HRDC is the region’s steering body for health and health-related research and concerns. It serves as the regional arm of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) and it is mandated to strengthen the system of health research collaboration in the region to develop, enhance and capacitate institutions to engage in health research to help improve the health conditions of the people. To know more about the consortium you may contact the office of Dr. Ma. Lourdes K. Otayza at telephone number 077-792-3133/3144.

Thirty participants attended the training on Sampling Process and Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis on November 18-20, 2015 at the Bulwagang Juan Luna, University of the Philippines Baguio.

The training aimed to enhance the research capabilities of researchers in the Cordillera region on two important aspects of research—the sampling process and data analysis for quantitative and qualitative researches.

Five resource persons from reputable institutions  facilitated the learning: (a) Prof. Fatima Castillo on the principles of qualitative data analysis; (b) Dr. Erlinda Palaganas on the data analysis process from data organization, management and analysis; (c) Ms Marian Sanchez on the use of Nvivo for organizing and analyzing qualitative data; (d) Dr. John Domantay on the stages of the sampling process particularly in determining the sampling size using the OpenEpi, a free soft ware commonly used on health research; and (e) Ms. Liezl Astudillo on quantitative research analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Nvivo is a qualitative research tool intended to help users organize and analyze non-numerical or unstructured data.  The software allows users to classify, sort and arrange information, examine relationships in the data.  The SPSS, on the other hand, is more of a quantitative research tool with several capabilities in describing, exploring, and predicting data.  But both tools can be used as part of the triangulation process.  This means that in order for a research finding to be reliable, generalizable, and useful, there should be more than two research strategies be employed. 

The three-day training has left the participants clamoring for more, this time on  advanced module courses so as to enable them come up with outputs expected of them to prepare as a result of the training.  

The training was conducted by the Capability Committee composed of Dr. Erlinda Palaganas (Chairperson of the committee representing the University of the Philippines Baguio), Dr. John Anthony Domantay (Saint Louis University), Ms. Ruth Tingda (Cordillera Career Development College), Rex Bate (Department of Health), Ms. Mary Rose Catapang (Benguet State University),  Ms. Marilou Saong (University of Baguio), and Ms. Judith Odanee Magwilang (University of the Cordilleras).