{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,9]],"date-time":"2026-09-09T16:20:02Z","timestamp":1788970802900,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785196800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Palliat Care"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Equitable access to palliative care remains a significant challenge in low- and middle-income countries with fragmented health systems. In the Philippines, comprehensive national data regarding the distribution of hospice and palliative medicine specialists and services remain scarce.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective(s)<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study mapped the geographic distribution of hospice and palliative medicine specialists and services in the Philippines and analyzed regional disparities in workforce density, institutional affiliations, and practice environments.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A descriptive cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 2025 using purposive sampling of fellows from the Philippine Society of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. An electronic survey collected data on practice locations, institutional affiliations, and service types. Specialist-to-population ratios were calculated from Philippine Statistics Authority data, and geographic visualizations were generated in Quantum Geographic Information System and Datawrapper.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Fifty-four active specialists were identified nationwide, corresponding to a density of 0.05 per 100\u2005000 population. Fifteen of 18 regions had practicing specialists; however, none were identified in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, Bicol, or South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos. Personnel and facilities were concentrated in urban centers such as the National Capital Region and Davao. Significant regional variation in care delivery was observed. While home-based care and telemedicine expanded in some areas, pediatric and rehabilitative palliative services remained inconsistent nationwide.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Geographic imbalances persist within the Philippine palliative care workforce. Enhancing personnel distribution, decentralizing service hubs, and integrating palliative care into primary and community health frameworks are essential to achieving equitable access in underserved regions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/08258597261469748","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T14:02:18Z","timestamp":1785247338000},"page":"369-376","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Geographic Distribution of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialists and Services in the Philippines"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"41","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0873-8408","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maricar R.","family":"Sabeniano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of the Philippines Manila"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-2780-5284","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Katherine C.","family":"Gaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of the Philippines Manila"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0696-4471","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martha Jane Pauline S.","family":"Umali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of the Philippines Manila"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_2","unstructured":"International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care. Global consensus-based palliative care definition. Published 2018. https:\/\/iahpc.org\/what-we-do\/research\/consensus-based-definition-of-palliative-care\/definition\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s40985-017-0062-7"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1478951508000515"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_2","volume-title":"Report of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Workshop on Expanding Availability and Access to Palliative Care","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2023","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Report of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Workshop on Expanding Availability and Access to Palliative Care. World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia; 2023."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214109X(19)30172X"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_2","volume-title":"Global Atlas of Palliative Care","author":"Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance","year":"2020","unstructured":"Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance, World Health Organization. Global Atlas of Palliative Care, 2nd ed. Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance; 2020. https:\/\/www.thewhpca.org\/resources\/global-atlas-on-end-of-life-care","edition":"2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_2","unstructured":"Philippine Statistics Authority. Updated projected mid-year population for the Philippines based on the 2015 Census of Population. Published December 2022."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_2","unstructured":"Philippine Statistics Authority. 2024 cause of death statistics (as of January 31 2025). Reference No. 2025-100. Published March 23 2025."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S147895152300144X"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/08258597231153381"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_2","article-title":"Geographic distribution of cancer care providers in the Philippines","volume":"8","author":"Eala MAB","year":"2022","unstructured":"Eala MAB, Maslog EAS, Dee EC, et al. Geographic distribution of cancer care providers in the Philippines. JCO Glob Oncol. 2022;8(1):e2200138. doi:https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1200\/GO.22.00138","journal-title":"JCO Glob Oncol"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_2","volume-title":"Manual of Operations, Procedures and Standards for the National Palliative and Hospice Care Program","author":"Department of Health","year":"2021","unstructured":"Department of Health. Manual of Operations, Procedures and Standards for the National Palliative and Hospice Care Program. Department of Health; 2021."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_2","volume-title":"2024 Census of Population (POPCEN)","author":"Philippine Statistics Authority","year":"2025","unstructured":"Philippine Statistics Authority. 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN). Philippine Statistics Authority; 2025. https:\/\/psa.gov.ph\/content\/2024-census-population-popcen-population-counts-declared-official-president"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_2","unstructured":"Australia and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine. Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee Inquiry into Palliative Care in Australia. Published March 2012. https:\/\/anzspm.org.au\/common\/Uploaded%20files\/Submissions\/34_Submission_to_Senate_Inquiry_into_Palliative_Care_in_Australia.pdf"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)32513-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1478-4491-4-12"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/s41599-024-03799-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_19_2","volume-title":"Integrating Palliative Care and Symptom Relief into the Response to Humanitarian Emergencies and Crises: A WHO Guide","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2021","unstructured":"World Health Organization. Integrating Palliative Care and Symptom Relief into the Response to Humanitarian Emergencies and Crises: A WHO Guide. 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