The Philippine Department of Health and IDinsight announce first national survey on Universal Health Care

September 28, 2023 – IDinsight announces a partnership with the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) to design and conduct the first national Universal Health Care (UHC) survey. The survey will collect data on healthcare access, affordability and quality. The results of this survey will offer insights into the status of healthcare for Filipinos and health facilities in the country. The recommendations will enable evidence-based policy recommendations toward achieving accessible and equitable healthcare for all.

The UHC Law was enacted in 2019, marking the first national effort to make healthcare accessible to all Filipinos. The UHC Law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) mandates rigorous monitoring and evaluation for the first 10 years of its provision. This includes a mandatory annual household survey to be developed by the DOH and jointly implemented with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). IDinsight will design and lead data collection for the first year of the annual survey.

Results from the national UHC survey will offer valuable insights for the DOH to identify gaps in healthcare access, affordability, and quality on the patient and health facility level. It will also highlight areas for improvement in the healthcare system, such as reducing out-of-pocket costs, improving the quality of care, and ensuring that healthcare services are available where they are most needed.

“We would like to thank the IDinsight team for their support in the endeavors of the Department [of Health] for Universal Health Care. The UHC law and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) [are] clear that there needs to be an annual household survey in close coordination with PSA …Our goal with the UHC Survey is not just compliance of the UHC IRR, but to gather the appropriate information to provide good feedback for better policies.” 

 

– Undersecretary Kenneth G. Ronquillo,

Kick-off Meeting for the Conduct of the UHC Household Survey | August 3, 2023

The UHC Survey covers two phases: the design phase and the data collection phase. The initiation of the project’s design phase was made possible through funding from IDinsight’s Catalytic Fund.  This enabled the project team to develop a Theory of Change, indicators, and survey design in consultation with DOH and other external stakeholders ensuring a well-informed approach prior to the data collection phase. Following the DOH Management Committee sign off on the proposed data collection design, the team is currently moving forward with the data collection phase of the project. 

The UHC survey is powered by IDinsight’s DataDelta team. DataDelta, previously Data on Demand, deploys sampling innovations, highly-trained data collection teams, and custom-built software to provide decision-makers with top-quality survey data at scale when they need it. 

In the coming months, IDinsight will validate the survey tools, pilot the survey, recruit and train the field team. IDinsight’s DataDelta team tailors its projects to partners’ needs, resulting in data that is decision-relevant, actionable, and delivered when it’s needed. The survey is set to begin in early 2024, with survey results expected by the second quarter.

About IDinsight

IDinsight is a mission-driven global advisory, data analytics, and research organization that helps global development leaders maximize their social impact. We tailor a wide range of data and evidence tools, including randomized evaluations and machine learning, to help decision-makers design effective programs and rigorously test what works to support communities. We work with governments, multilateral agencies, foundations, and innovative non-profit organizations in Asia and Africa. We work across a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, and financial inclusion. We have team members who are remote and have offices in Dakar, Lusaka, Manila, Nairobi, New Delhi, and Rabat.