PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES: STRENGTHENING THE UTILIZATION OF THE INMATE’S HEALTH RECORD OF THE BUREAU OF JAIL MANAGEMENT AND PENOLOGY

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to come up with an action plan based on the evaluation on the provision of primary health services provided to inmates (persons deprived of liberty/PDL) through the implementation of the Inmate’s Health Record (IHR). The evaluation was based on the health status of the inmates and the health services available, on extent of IHR utilization, as well as on the compliance to the guidelines based on treatment/management, medication and medical supplies, and monitoring, and based on the challenges met by the jail health staff and inmates alike.

The study utilized mixed-methods to validate and appraise the utilization of the Inmate’s Health Record in providing primary health care services to the BJMP inmates through quantitative and qualitative methods. The study specifically dealt with the health status of a jail based on the common health complaints or most common reasons for seeking medical attention as experienced by the inmates using quantitative analysis where the relation of each health complaint and the provision of healthcare services were analyzed; quantitative analysis was also used to describe the extent of compliance to the guidelines on the use of the IHR. Quantitative analysis was used to identify the challenges met by the BJMP health staff and inmates in the implementation of the IHR. Qualitative analysis was used to know how the primary healthcare services were being provided to inmates, and helped to analyze the extent of IHR utilization. Upon identification of issues and concerns regarding the health care services, the study tried to recommend an action plan to strengthen the use and implementation of the IHR.

The data gathering utilized a questionnaire as well as an interview with both jail health staff and inmates (PDL) as the respondents.