Advocates of telehealth have been taking the opportunity to highlight how the practice can help address inequities in access to health information and to healthcare more broadly. Even before the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, they were already promoting the use of digital means to address healthcare issues faced by vulnerable sectors. Telehealth has been demonstrated to help close the gaps in healthcare service delivery as a way of ensuring that national healthcare systems are responsive, efficient, and equitable in providing healthcare to all, especially the traditionally underserved and vulnerable populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) developed a National eHealth strategy framework in 2012 to guide countries in effectively integrating ehealth in their systems.36 World Health Organization & International Telecommunication Union. (2012). National eHealth Strategy Toolkit Overview. World Health Organization. Retrieved May 16, 2020, from https://www.who.int/ehealth/publications/overview.pdf
The Philippine government was able to develop an ehealth strategic framework in 2013, but as early as 2008, the University of the Philippines (UP) National Telehealth Center (NTHC) was already practicing telemedicine.37 Patdu, I.D., & Tenorio, A.S. (2016, December 31). Establishing the Legal Framework of Telehealth in the Philippines. Acta Medica Philippina. (50)4, 237‐246. Retrieved May 15, 2020, from https://actamedicaphilippina.upm.edu.ph/index.php/acta/article/view/763