The Philippines needs to prepare for the burgeoning population of older persons. The population 60 years and above has grown at a very rapid rate, increasing from 3.2 million in 1990 to 4.6 million in 2000. By the year 2030, ten percent of our population will be composed of senior citizens. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) study “Status of Geriatric Education in Philippine Medical Schools” presented during the NIH Forum 17 June 2010, looked at how Geriatrics (the study of health and disease in old age) is taught in Philippine Medical Schools and the perception of graduating medical students on how well they can take care of old patients after receiving their MD diplomas.
The study revealed that most medical schools do have Geriatrics as part of a required course and 61% enjoy institutional support for developing said course. However, although 70% of the graduating medical students believe they are prepared to take care of the elderly in outpatient clinics and hospitals, only 61% of their teachers think they possess the necessary KAP (knowledge, attitude and practice) for such a job!
Some of the contributors to the lack in KAP of fresh graduates include the crowded medical course schedule and the lack of a curricular map of subjects that teach them how to take care of the elderly. Medical students learn the basics during the first three years of med school (classroom) but may not possess the skills in the final clinical years called internship (hospital exposure). The lack of clinical teachers and researchers were also identified as obstacles to the development of a good Geriatric program.
This study also contains recommendations as to how the situation can be rectified; how we can mold our future doctors into providing excellent and compassionate healthcare for the elderly. We can begin by increasing the number of doctors that are trained and dedicated to teaching, and by establishing a well mapped curriculum in Geriatrics. We also need to support researches that lead to improvement of the health and quality of life of the aging Filipino. The Association of Philippine Medical Colleges, DOH, DSWD, NIH and CHED can help lead this change.
About the NIH and Aging Study Group:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) was created on January 26, 1996 by the UP Board of Regents as an institutional home of a network of various research and extension units specializing in health and socio-biomedical concerns. This thrust is consistent with the country’s vision of “Health for All”.
Currently, the NIH has various research institutes and active study groups that continue to develop and produce outputs that serve as vital guideposts in shaping national programs and policies. The Aging Study Group and the Committee on Aging and Degenerative Diseases (COMADD) has contributed greatly to current clinical and educational programs and policies on Aging. The vision of COMADD is “The Filipino elderly enjoying a healthy body, mind and spirit, being treated with dignity, and valued as a productive member of society, in a dynamic process unique to himself, and beginning a life of unlimited possibilities”.
Principal Investigator:
Shelley F. de la Vega, MD., MSc
Chair, Aging Study Group
Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies
UP Manila-NIH
Co-Investigators:
Jose Alvin Mojica, M.D., MHPEd
Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Philippine General Hospital
Josephine Agapito, PhD
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila
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