EDITORIAL by Dean Alberto B. Roxas

This special issue of the Acta Medica Philippina is dedicated to the 25 years of existence of Clinical Epidemiology in the Philippines. The Rockefeller Foundation in the early 1980’s, issued a call to major medical schools in the world to participate in an initiative which would promote clinical practice based on the best evidence of effectiveness and the efficient use of resources. Thus, the first Clinical Epidemiology Unit (CEU) in the Philippines was established in 1984 at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM) under the sponsorship of Dr. Ernesto Domingo, then Chairman of the Department of Medicine UPCM. This issue includes Dr. Domingo’s reflection of the early years of clinical epidemiology and its future directions during his talk at the anniversary conference last July 30, 2009. This issue also pays tribute to the late Dr. Renato Dantes, third Director of the UP-CEU and noted pulmonologist and clinical epidemiologist. His daughter Anna and colleague and friend Dr. Charles Yu reflect on his legacy.

One of the milestones of Clinical Epidemiology in the Philippines is the establishment of the Master of Science in Epidemiology – Clinical Epidemiology (MSE-CE) at the UPCEU. Physicians from various specialties and institutions were trained through this program. The UPCEU eventually became the Department of Clinical Epidemiology (DCE) in 1998 under the leadership of Dean Ramon L. Arcadio. Graduates of the MSE-CE became leaders in promoting clinical epidemiology as a discipline in their respective institutions. New CEUs were established in De la Salle Health Sciences campus, University of Santo Tomas and the Cebu Institute of Medicine.

For the past 25 years, Clinical Epidemiology has emphasized multi-disciplinary collaboration across various institutions. This form of collaboration is evident in the articles in this issue–clinical economists working with cardiologists and parasitologists in the two cost analysis studies; social
scientists working with clinical epidemiologists to introduce an effective intervention (Zinc in acute diarrhea management) and to develop and validate measurement instrument (Pictorial Pediatric Symptom checklist); and biostatisticians working with various clinical specialties (oncology, radiology, nursing, infectious diseases). Most of the findings in these researches were used for health policy formulation. DCE, in the pursuit of improving its graduate program, also collaborated with the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions to evaluate the
MSE-CE program.

I would like to congratulate the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and its partners and join them in celebrating their 25th anniversary. As you reached this milestone, I encourage you to pause, reflect and identify the lessons that will make your Department stronger in the years
to come.

ALBERTO B. ROXAS, MD
Professor & Dean
UP College of Medicine