Weak Mobilization of Radiologic Services in Resource-Poor Philippines

I. Introduction

Many Filipinos nowadays are being deprived of their proper medications or rights to have high-quality diagnoses and treatments due to their distant places with no medical hospitals nearby or lack of financial capabilities. Because of that, the mobilization of services and resources is being practiced especially in rural areas.

Radiology, also known as diagnostic imaging, is a branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases by capturing images of parts of the body using radiant energy. It started when Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays on November 8, 1895, while working in his laboratory in Würzburg, Germany, and won the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his discovery.

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As technology advances from time to time, different Radiology services are being used and offered in hospitals in the Philippines such as Digital Radiography, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography or CT scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI, Positron Emission Tomography or PET scan, Mammography, Angiography, Fluoroscopy, and Nuclear Medicine.

A huge portion of the Philippines’ population currently lacks access to any form of diagnostic imaging. Mobilization of services and resources especially in rural areas has been poor lately. Resource-poor areas are having a hard time obtaining high-quality services and resources ending up not getting the diagnosis and treatment they need for their diseases. One of the services that are being delivered to resource-poor areas is Radiology services. According to Sharma et al., x-ray and ultrasound are the main medical imaging modalities for primary care and emergency services in rural areas; combined, they can meet more than 90% of the population's imaging needs. Imaging machines should be resilient in harsh environmental conditions, work efficiently in environments with unreliable energy, reduce radiation risks to staff and patients, be operable by non-specialist providers, and generate high-quality images needed for an accurate diagnosis if equipped for resource-poor areas (Andrews et al., 2010).

Other study focuses more on the data gathering from individuals living in resource-poor areas within and outside the Philippines and although those studies report the ineffectiveness of weak mobilization of radiology services, there is still a need to study further other factors that are under this matter. This library research aims to know how individuals deal with Radiologic services in resource-poor areas in the Philippines. Furthermore, the information in this study will provide more knowledge to individuals and families about the radiologic services mobilization in resource-poor areas within the Philippines.

II. Statement of the Problem

This study entitled, Effects of Weak Mobilization of Radiologic Services in Resource-Poor Areas in the Philippines, aims to know how individuals will deal with Radiologic Services in resource-poor areas within the Philippines considering its factors and consequences. Mainly, it will be answered with the following questions:

1. How do Radiologic services mobilize in resource-poor areas?
2. What are the consequences of weak mobilization of Radiologic services in resource-poor areas?
3. What are the factors to consider for the mobilization of Radiologic services in resource-poor areas?

III. Hypothesis

The following hypotheses will be studied to accept or reject the proposed research:

Null Hypothesis

Mobilization of Radiologic services is significantly effective in resource-poor areas in the Philippines.

Alternative Hypothesis

Mobilization of Radiologic services is not significantly effective in resource-poor areas in the Philippines.

IV. Scope and Limitation

In research from Editage Insights (2019), the scope of the study explains the extent to which the research area will be explored in the work and specifies the parameters within which the study will be carried out. The aim of this study is to determine how individuals will deal with Radiology Services in poor areas in the Philippines considering its factor and consequences. The main focus of the study was individuals who are residing in a resource-poor area within the Philippines. The scope of this study is within the Philippines only and will not go further larger scope. The information focuses mainly on the statement of the problem of this study, how individuals will deal with Radiology Services in poor areas and what are the consequences of weak mobilization of Radiology Services in a resource-poor area within the Philippines as well as the factors to consider in mobilizing resources in rural areas. In addition, the study will not go any further other than the objectives of this library research.

V. Methods

This research will adopt the Descriptive Analysis Method of Research, according to McCombes (2019), Descriptive research is defined as a method of research that aims to describe a population, situation, or phenomenon accurately and systematically. It can answer 'what”, “where', 'when' and “how' questions but not “why” questions. When the research objective is to define features, frequencies, trends, and categories, Descriptive research is a suitable choice. It is beneficial when not much is understood about the topic or problem yet. The questions in this research will be answered with the statement of the problem of this study which is the following: How do Radiologic services mobilize in resource-poor areas?; What are the consequences of weak mobilization of Radiologic services in resource-poor areas? And; What is the factors to consider for the mobilization of Radiologic services in resource-poor areas? And the answers will be seen in the discussion of this study.

VI. Discussion

Statement of Problem No. 1: How do Radiology services mobilize in resource-poor areas?

There are necessary considerations for the mobilization of diagnostic Radiologic services in resource-poor areas. Reliable electricity and conditions of the imaging machines are some of the considerations to be taken into account in the delivery of Radiologic services and resources for rural healthcare. Imaging devices that will be used and delivered should be designed to operate with easy maintenance in order to reduce the possibility of malfunction and disuse, work efficiently in areas with unreliable electricity, and should also be provided with simple troubleshooting manuals that can be checked and easily understood by a non-technician. Electronic moving parts should be reduced, and any complicated circuitry should be stored in a water and physical damage-resistant casing (Andrews et al., 2010).

Statement of Problem No. 2: What are the consequences of weak mobilization of Radiology services in resource-poor areas?

According to Andrews et al., a large population of resource-poor areas especially in rural areas don’t have access and are having a hard time obtaining high-quality Radiology diagnoses and treatments for different kinds of diseases that could possibly lead to negative outcomes. Lack of access to any diagnostic imaging can make their simple illnesses much worse if not diagnosed and treated at the right time due to their insufficient knowledge of diseases, what to do, and not do for prevention.

Statement of Problem No.3: What are the factors to consider for the mobilization of Radiology services in resource-poor areas?

Location of the area, reliable electricity sources, high-quality imaging machines that are in good condition, long-lasting resources, and well-planned action are the most important key factors to be taken into account in mobilizing rural healthcare. According to Andrews et al., imaging machines that will be equipped for mobilizing Radiology services in resource-poor areas should be resilient in harsh environmental conditions, work efficiently in areas with unreliable energy, reduce radiation risks to staff and patients, be operable by non-specialist providers, and generate high-quality images needed for accurate diagnosis. As much as possible, Radiology services and resources should be mobilized in rural areas that are in need of high-quality healthcare.

VII. Summary, Conclusion/s, and Recommendations

Summary

Filipinos need proper medicines or high-quality healthcare services, particularly in resource-poor areas where there is a lack of medical resources as there are no nearby medical hospitals and a lack of capacity to mobilize resources, which is why there is a weak mobilization of radiology services in resource-poor regions in the Filipinos. As technology develops from moment to time, various radiology services, such as digital radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography or CT scan, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, positron emission tomography or PET scan, mammography, angiography, fluoroscopy, and nuclear medicine, are used and offered in hospitals in the Philippines.

This research aims to know how individuals will deal with Radiologic Services in resource-poor areas within the Philippines considering its factors and consequences. Mainly, it will be answered with the following questions: How do Radiologic services mobilize in resource-poor areas?; What are the consequences of weak mobilization of Radiologic services in resource-poor areas? And; What is the factors to consider for the mobilization of Radiologic services in resource-poor areas? The Research Descriptive Analysis Method will be adopted in this study. It can answer questions of what,' 'where,' 'when, and 'how,' but not questions of why.'

Some of the considerations to be taken into account in the provision of radiological services and resources for rural healthcare are reliable electricity and the conditions for imaging machines. In order to reduce the possibility of malfunction and disuse, imaging devices to be used and delivered should be designed to operate with easy maintenance, work efficiently in areas with unreliable electricity, and should also be provided with simple troubleshooting manuals that a non-technician can check and easily understand. If not diagnosed and treated at the right time due to their inadequate knowledge of diseases, what to do and not to do for prevention, and lack of access to any diagnostic imaging can make their simple illnesses much worse. The most important key factors to be taken into account in mobilizing rural health care are the location of the area, reliable electricity sources, high-quality imaging machines in good conditions, long-lasting resources, and well-planned action. Radiology services and resources in rural areas in need of high-quality health care should be mobilized to the maximum possible extent.

Conclusion

The researchers were able to understand and provide answers to the questions stated by this study through the information in the discussion of this study. All the information gathered and available materials create a huge impact on the study.

• This research concludes that null hypothesis will be rejected and do not reject alternative hypothesis which is mobilization of radiologic services is not significantly effective in resource-poor areas in the Philippines.
• Radiologic services are mobilized with the reliable electricity and conditions of the imaging machines are some of the considerations to be taken into account in the delivery of Radiologic services and resources for rural healthcare.
• The consequences of weak mobilization of radiologic services are it can make their simple illnesses much worse if not diagnosed and treated at the right time due to their insufficient knowledge on diseases.
• The factors to consider in this research are the location of the area, reliable electricity sources, high-quality imaging machines that are in good condition, long-lasting resources and well-planned action are the most important key factors to be taken into account in mobilizing rural healthcare.

Recommendation

Researchers recommend that individuals study other factors to be considered in mobilizing resource-poor areas, as our study focuses mainly on mobilizing radiological services in poor areas in the Philippines and has not gone any further. In addition, the government needs to pay more attention to the health care system in the Philippines, in particular by mobilizing equipment for services in resource-poor areas, conducting in-depth research for the improvement of mobilization of radiologic services in resource-poor areas in the Philippines, and assess what they can offer, ergo, there will be a better healthcare service for families living in resource-poor areas. The researchers recommend that De La Salle Science and Health Institute use this library research as a learning material that can help students understand and gather more information about the mobilization of medical resources in the Philippines. Lastly, the researchers are recommending to future researchers with the same matter that the scope of this study be broadened and ask individuals living in resource-poor areas, ergo, they can collect more data to have more and better results that can beneficial to everyone.

References:

1. Editage Insights. (2019, October 29). Study Background & Introduction. Retrieved on December 08, 2020, from: https://www.editage.com/insights/what-meaning-scope-and-delimitations-study
2. Andrews, J. et al. (2010, October 14). “Turning a blind eye: the mobilization of radiology services in resource-poor regions”. Retrieved on December 08, 2020, from: https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1744-8603-6-18
3. McCombes, S. (2019, May 15). “Descriptive research”. Retrieved on December 08, 2020, from: https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/descriptive-research/
4. Meštrović, T. (n.d). “What is Radiology?”. Retrieved on December 08, 2020, from: https://www.news-medical.net/amp/health/What-is-Radiology.aspx
5. Maru, D. S. R., Schwarz, R., Jason, A., Basu, S., & Sharma, A. (2010, October). Turning a blind eye: The mobilization of radiology services in resource-poor regions. Research Gate. Retrieved on December 09, 2020, from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47428242_Turning_a_blind_eye_The_mobilization_of_radiology_services_in_resource-poor_regions
6. Periera, A. G., Vergara, L. G. L., Merino, E. A. D., & Wagner, A. (2015, October). Solutions in radiology services management: a literature review. Scielo. Retrieved on December 09, 2020, from: https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-39842015000500298