Model development for providing emergency health services: The case of take Buriram people back home in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic, Buriram Province, Thailand

Abstract

This action research aimed at developing a model for providing emergency health services in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic called “take Buriram people back home”, Buriram Province, Thailand. The project consisted of 4 phases. The first phase encompassed a situational review and analysis. The second phase involved model planning and development. The third phase applied the model to pilot and extended areas. The fourth phase, evaluation, concludes emergency health service prototypes in emergency situations. The population in the study consisted of 1) the working group committee for model development, 2) service recipients, and 3) the operation team. Purposive sampling enrolled a sample size of 40 members of the working group committee: 1,257 service recipients, relatives, and families, and 400 members of the operations team. The research was conducted between April 2020 and May 2023. The data was collected from data collection forms, focus group discussions, interviews, questionnaires, lessons learned, and performance reports. Data analysis was performed with the program Epi Info Ver. 7. Descriptive statistics included frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, along with content analysis were adopted for data analysis. The results showed that 80.8 percent returned home for treatment, 9.3 percent were treated at nearby hospitals in their residence, and 7.1 percent were isolated and quarantined at home. Most people were sent back via the program’s car (68.5 percent), while most received treatment at field hospitals (55.2 percent). At the highest level of satisfaction, both the operation team and service recipients express equal levels regarding the structure (mean=4.57, SD=0.50) and facilities (mean=4.57, SD=0.05). The model has been effectively implemented through the seamless operation of the provincial communicable disease committee mechanism and network partners.