This study will strictly adhere to the National Ethical Guidelines for Health and Health- Related Research (2022). To safeguard participant privacy, only the principal investigator (PI), and statistician will have role-based access to coded study data, restricted exclusively to research purposes. All participants will be assigned unique codes, and names or other personal identifiers will be removed prior to analysis to ensure anonymity.


During the pilot phase, information will be stored exclusively on each participant’s personal device and protected by built-in security features such as passwords, biometric locks, and device-level encryption. The research team will not access these data unless participants voluntarily export and submit their diary records. No personal identifiers will be collected or transmitted.

Although the risk of data breaches is minimal, it is acknowledged given the sensitive nature of health-related data from older adults. To mitigate this risk, anonymization, encryption, and strict access controls will be applied. Any suspected breach of privacy will be reported promptly to the University of the Philippines Manila Research Ethics Board (UPMREB) and the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Data Privacy Officer, with immediate remedial measures implemented in accordance with institutional protocols.

All research personnel will undergo formal training on patient confidentiality and data protection, and will sign agreements affirming their responsibility to safeguard participant identity and health information. Study data will be securely retained for five years following study completion, after which paper records will be shredded and electronic files permanently erased.