What We Need To Solve The Urgent Crisis Of And How To Develop Sustainable Long Term Care In Thailand: Policy Makers’ Perspectives

@#Thailand’s growing aging population who have increased longevity has resulted in an upsurge in disability and the expectation of chronic diseases. The demand for increased care challenges the government to develop treatment and long-term management procedures. This study explores the following two objectives: 1) identifying policies for intervention that improve the quality of life of the elderly; and 2) developing a sustainable and feasible ten-year delivery system for Long Term Care (LTC). We conducted comprehensive interviews with 8 male and 3 female policy makers on LTC development for the elderly in Thailand and analyzed these transcripts by using NVivo 8 data analysis. Two independent investigations that contain thematic codes have been developed from the transcript subset’s first set. Six of the identified issues – care services imbalance, poor management, skill search, health workforce scarcity, regulations, and information system problems – are considered urgent and require a solution. The surveys reiterate that an LTC scheme will become family- and community-based in a decade. The improvements in the quality of life for elderly patients with long-term conditions are accomplished through integrated services, regulatory system consolidation, an LTC workforce, infrastructure delivery, and investment in elderly health groups. LTC must use an all-inclusive societal policy.

Well-Being Of The Elderly In Thailand: A Scoping Systematic Review

Thailand is now developing very swiftly into an old aged society and therefore the demands for social and health services are increasing day by day. This present topic is a systemic review on the lives of the aged people of Thailand. A critical analysis has been made on the people of Thailand aged more than or equals to fifty. This review has been done by using data, recovered through Pub Med, Scopus and ISI Web of science. The point of this analysis was about these six below mentioned outcomes such as- health and well-being, living arrangements, use of health facilities, process-related health outcomes, income, or support. Seventy-two studies were published about this included this review within 1994 to 2016. Different methods and techniques such as quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods were used in these studies. In 51.4 % cases Probability sampling methods and in 44.5% cases purposive sampling methods were used. 31.9% of the information was taken from the national survey data. The data sources of these studies were taken primarily from the outpatients of the hospitals and secondarily from the primary health care centers who acted as the participants. These studies and analysis have determined different types of outcomes. Some outcomes indicate that the public health policies and programs on aging are not acting as a whole development program. On the other hand, some outcomes indicate on healthy life expectancy, which is the outcome of heath care. Imbalances can be noticed among the needs and the provided health care.

Factors associated with utilization of antenatal care services in Balochistan province of Pakistan: an analysis of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey [MICS] 2010

Objective: The study was conducted to identify factors affecting the utilization of Antenatal Care [ANC] in Balochistan Province, Pakistan

Methods: Data on ANC utilization, together with social and economic determinants, were derived from a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey [MICS] conducted in Balochistan in 2010. The analysis was conducted including 2339 women who gave birth in last two years preceding the survey. The researchers established a model to identify influential factors contributing to the utilization of ANC by logistic regression; model selection was by Akaike Information Criterion [AIC] and Bayesian Information Criterion [BIC]

Results: Household wealth, education, health condition, age at first marriage, number of children and spouse violence justification were found to be significantly associated with ANC coverage. Literate mothers are 2.45 times more likely to have ANC, and women whose newborns showed symptoms of illness at birth that needed hospitalization are 0.47 times less likely to access ANC. Women with an increase in the number of surviving children are 1.07 times less likely to have ANC, and those who think their spouse violence is socially justified are 1.36 times less likely to have ANC. The results draw attention towards evidence based planning of factors associated with utilization of ANC in the Balochistan province

Conclusion: The study reveals that women from high wealth index and having education had more chances to get ANC. Factors like younger age of the women at first marriage, increased number of children, symptoms of any illness to neonates at birth that need hospitalization and women who justify spouse violence had less chances to get ANC. Among components of ANC urine sampling and having tetanus toxoid [TT] in the last pregnancy increased the frequency of visits. ANC from a doctor decreased the number of visits. There is dire need to reduce disparities for wealth index, education and urban/rural living

Expediting support for the pregnant mothers to obtain antenatal care at public health facilities in rural areas of Balochistan province, Pakistan

Objectives: To identify, and compare relative importance of, factors associated with antenatal care [ANC] utilization in rural Balochistan, toward framing a policy to increase such utilization. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 513 pregnant women in Jhal Magsi District, Balochistan, in 2011. A standardized interviewer-administered questionnaire was used. Predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors were evaluated with generalized linear models [Poisson distribution and log link]. Results: Prevalence of any ANC was only 14.4%. Predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors were all important determinants of ANC utilization. Reinforcing factors were clearly most important, husband's support for ANC was more important than support from other community members. Among predisposing factors, higher income, education, occupation, and better knowledge regarding benefits of ANC were positively and statistically significantly associated with ANC However increased number of children showed negative association. Complications free pregnancy showed positive significant association with ANC at public health facility among enabling factors. Conclusion: It is very important to increase antenatal care utilization in the study area and similar areas. Policy to achieve this should focus on enhancing support from the husband

Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and Associated Costs in Thailand

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to enumerate the annual morbidity and mortality incidence and estimate the direct and indirect costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses in Bangkok in 2008. In this study, data on workmen compensation claims and costs from the Thai Workmen Compensation Fund, Social Security Office of Ministry of Labor, were aggregated and analyzed. METHODS: To assess costs, this study focuses on direct costs associated with the payment of workmen compensation claims for medical care and health services. RESULTS: A total of 52,074 nonfatal cases of occupational injury were reported, with an overall incidence rate of 16.9 per 1,000. The incidence rate for male workers was four times higher than that for female workers. Out of a total direct cost of $13.87 million, $9.88 million were for medical services and related expenses and $3.98 million for compensable reimbursement. The estimated amount of noncompensated lost earnings was an additional $2.66 million. CONCLUSION: Occupational injuries and illnesses contributed to the total cost; it has been estimated that workers' compensation covers less than one-half to one-tenth of this cost.