Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

07 Jul 2023

UP Diliman

The propagandists struggled with homesickness while in exile

Traditional historiographies such as historian John Schumacher’s seminal work on the Propaganda Movement have portrayed the propagandists as larger-than-life individuals...

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10 May 2023

The Provincial Chinese and the Progress of Iloilo Textile in Nineteenth-Century Philippines

Textiles played a significant role in Philippine economic history. In this study, archival materials and records have shown that the...

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10 May 2023

Feeling like a philosopher of education: A collective response to Jackson’s ‘The smiling philosopher’

The article “Feeling like a philosopher of education: A collective response to Jackson’s ‘The smiling philosopher” (2022) aimed at responding...

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10 May 2023

Protective effects of sugarcane phenolic extract against lipid oxidative damages in raw ground pork and beef during refrigerated storage conditions

Sugarcane phenolic extract is a by-product of the sugar refining process that is rich in phenolic compounds
with strong antioxidant properties....

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Research

Dying is not a medical experience but also a social and psychological one. We would like to ease the suffering of terminally ill and very sick patients by providing proper care and a “good death” or dying experience in our hospitals. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about new challenges and restrictive protocols. In this study, the barriers to and facilitators of a “good death” from the viewpoint of COVID-19 survivors, relatives, and healthcare providers were described. This is the first qualitative study in the Philippines that explores the perspectives about “good death” and experience of hospitalization, dying, and burial during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary care hospital. The study was done in a COVID-19 tertiary hospital in Metro Manila from September to December 2021. Three groups of target participants joined the study: eight survivors of severe/critical COVID-19, nine close relatives of COVID-19 patients who died, and nine healthcare providers of COVID-19 patients who died. Interviews were conducted through video calls. A total of 26 participants were interviewed. The experiences with COVID 19 were influenced by the fear of the infection and isolation restrictions during hospitalization. All groups expressed fear of COVID-19 and death, the importance of family in the healthcare process, difficulty in communication, and cremation as necessary but not preferred. A “good death” is perceived as a peaceful, prepared experience. The main barriers to a “good death” were the strict restrictions on physically comforting and communicating with patients. Video/voice calls and compassionate health care providers facilitated a better hospitalization experience. Healthcare providers and hospitals can improve on how they care for severely ill patients in order to facilitate a “good death” among Filipino patients.

Read full paper: https://actamedicaphilippina.upm.edu.ph/index.php/acta/article/view/5650