Evaluation of Patient Health Outcomes at a Community Hospital in ThailandP. Yanwattana and S. Burapadaja*
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To ensure the achievement of health services, evaluation of patient health outcomes is necessary. The objective was to evaluate health status, responsiveness, and health expenditure on the basis of effectiveness (health status and responsiveness), responsiveness (responsiveness), and equity in health (health status, responsiveness, and health expenditure). A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample (n = 348) of out-patients at a community hospital using a questionnaire. Measures of health status consisted of physical, mental, and social health, and that of responsiveness included dignity, autonomy, choice of provider, prompt attention, and basic amenities. Health expenditure was based on patient profiles. Participants were divided into two groups by the lowest-income quintile. Percentage of health status and responsiveness was 84.7% and 70.6%, respectively. Mental and social health was independent of age. Responsiveness was positively related to health status. The lower-income group shared significantly greater health expenditure than his counterpart. Aging and chronic diseases could increase health expenditure. In conclusion, effectiveness of health status and responsiveness can’t be evaluated owing to a lack of specified goals, but its measures can be used as benchmark for next evaluation. Promotion of mental and social health can enhance health status. Responsiveness measures should be informed health providers to improve their behaviors. Such improvement can additionally support health status. Equity is achieved in health status and responsiveness but not in health expenditure. This evaluation suggests the necessity to specify outcome goals, encourage health providers to engage in evaluation procedure, and define precise outcome measure for equity determination.
Keyword:
Thailand, Health evaluation, Patient health outcomes, Community hospital
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