Pain assessment and management for solid tumors in Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries, Inc

OBJECTIVE: Advanced cancer pain is associated with pain in two-thirds of patients impairing quality of life. Poor control is often attributed to poor assessment and classification. This study aimed to determine current pain assessment and management for solid tumors in a private tertiary hospital in Davao City.METHODS: The study utilized a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study wherein 298 charts with diagnoses of solid tumor were included.RESULTS: Clinical outcomes of this study include that 28% and 32% died and did not improve due to these solid tumors. This data therefore reflect that 60% of these patients, when combined, may have have advanced diseases. Of these, 19% experienced moderate to severe pain either as a chief complaint or as part of the medical history and review of systems, while 78% have no record or evidence of pain assessment. Only nine percent received opioid therapy while 13%  were given non-opioids. Approximately six percent of these patients' pain responses were monitored or followed-up by medical service versus none of the nursery service after initiation of pharmacotherapy. CONCLUSION: The present study showed a very big gap as far as pain assessment and management are concerned. These deficiencies may be attributed to non-adherence to the WHO guidelines for pain which includes inadequate pain assessment, recording, management and monitoring. Information dissemination regarding pain assessment and management is of paramount importance as to giving optimal pain management in cancer patients experiencing pain. 

Willingness to quit smoking and the factors associated with successful smoking cessation among employees of Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries, Incorporated

OBJECTIVE: As with every institution lay a cigarette smoker, in fact, most of them already desired of quitting the habit. Hence, identifying the factors associated with successful smoking cessation is of utmost importance and needed to be addressed. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cigarette smokers among employees of BIHMI in Davao City, assess their willingness to quit, and identify the factors which could affect successful smoking cessation.METHODS: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among the employees of Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries, Inc. in Davao City. Th authors compared 39 successful quitters wit 70 current smokers by conducting a research assisted question and answer using a semi-structured questionnaire. They examined the relationship of sociodemographic, behavioral characteristics, presence of comorbid medical conditions, and environmental factors to successful smoking cessation.RESULTS: Religious belief, higher level of educational attainment. higher socioeconomic status (higher income), fewer number of cigarette sticks smoked per day, presence of comorbid medical condition, no concomitant alcohol use, and having a nonsmoking spouse or cohabitant have been identified as factors of successful smoking cessation.CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the identified factors that affect successful smoking cessation among the employees be looked into, and appropriate strategies be carried out. Putting up a smoking cessation clinic can help not only the smoking population of the institution who desired of quitting the habit to attain long-lasting abstinence but ideally extending beyond the walls of the institution. As wellness advocates, it is our calling to address these factors.

The perceived incidence rate and patient safety attitudes of health care professionals at Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital

Safety culture is term used to determine the commitment, style and proficiency of an organization's health safety management. Medical errors increase morbidity, causes significant complications, increase hospital costs and prolongs hospital stays for the patient.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the perceived incidence rate and the patient safety attitudes of health care professionals at the Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital (DMSFH)METHODOLOGY: The study involved the health care professionals of DMSFH. The safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ)was used and measured on a 5-point Likert scale for the following domains, Teamwork, Safety Climate, Job Satisfaction, Stress Recognition, Perceptions of Management, Working Conditions, Collaboration and Communication. The last part of the survey questionnaire determines the perceived incidence rate. It is composed of three items: accidents, near-misses and errors and were rated on a 6-point Likert scale.RESULTS: Among the 145 respondents, 88.96% were nurses, 1.38% doctors and 9.66% pharmacists. The overall patient safety climate at the DMSFH was good with a mean rate of 3.5 ± 0.42. Perception of management has the lowest perceived rates with a mean of only 3.06 ±  0.21. In terms of mean perceived incident rates, errors had the highest mean rates of 3.27 ± 1.09. Overall, perceived incidence rates are negatively, albeit weakly, correlated with the DMSFH safety climate.CONCLUSION: The perceived incidence rates are significantly affected by the patient safety measures that are practiced by the health care professionals.

Paggunita bereavement support program: A university hospital experience

The Bereavement Support Program, as an annual event, sought to assist the individuals and families of the deceased patient in this difficult transition process.

Effectiveness of designated treatment partners among adult patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Diabetes is a life-long chronic illness. Management is geared towards controlling the blood sugar levels in order to avoid acute and chronic complications. However, adherence to medical and non-pharmacologic interventions is one of the many pressing problems of patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. Objectives: The study seeks to determine the effectiveness of designated treatment partners selected according to a doctor and a patient's preference in controlling the hemoglobin A lc levels (HbA lc) at values lesser than or equal to 6.5% among non-insulin treated diabetes patients. Design, Setting and Patients: The study is an open-labeled randomized controlled trial conducted from January to June 2009 at the Family Medicine Clinic of the Philippine General Hospital. A total of 60 target subjects with uncontrolled Hemoglobin A 1 c (HbA 1 c) were recruited and enrolled in this investigation. Intervention: The study subjects were randomized to two groups namely, treatment partners according to doctor's and patient's preference. These subjects were followed-up on the third and sixth month. Main Outcome Measure: The primary outcome measure was targeted towards controlling the HbAlc levels to values equal to or less than 6.5% with a 0.6% difference between treatment arms. Results and Discussion: The baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were similar at the start of the study except for the duration of diabetes (P=0.04) and baseline systolic blood pressure (P=0.04). The mean scores for burden of illness, health perception, and perceived adherence factors were similar for both arms. The mean HbA lc scores for both groups were similar at baseline (8.41 v 7.89, P = 0.43). Results showed that the HbA lc levels of both groups were lower than the cut-off value of 6.5% after a six-month study period however, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.28) in between treatment groups. But using the general linear model to assess significance across the follow-up period, results of the study showed that the difference of HbA lc levels obtained after a six month follow-up compared to the baseline was statistically significant (P = 0.003). Majority of the chosen partners in both treatment arms are their spouses. It is postulated that marital adjustment and high levels of perceived intimacy could have facilitated a healthy adaptation to diabetes hence, achieving the target HbAlc levels across arms. Conclusion: Selection of designated treatment partners according to a doctor's preference is unlikely to be effective over treatment partners selected according to a patient's preference.