Factors Related to Medical Care Usage of Chronic Disease Patients at Sub-district Health Promoting Hospitals in Khao Yoi Health Network, Petchaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of this survey research were to study (1) the medical care treatment rate of chronic disease patients at Sub-district Health Promoting Hospitals (SHPH) in KhaoYoi Health Network, Petchaburi province, (2) the personal factors, services accessibility, health perception, and perceived healthcare quality of SHPH among the chronic patients, (3) the relationships between personal factors, services accessibility, health perception, perceived healthcare quality, and medical care treatment of chronic disease patients at SHPH, and (4) problems and suggestions towards the provision of medical care. The study population was 3,577 patients suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes. They were referred by the KhaoYoi hospital’s doctors to receive medical treatment in 12 SHPHs. Three hundred and twenty patients were systematic-random sampled. Data were collected by a questionnaire with the reliability of 0.92. The statistics used for data analysis were descriptive statistics and a Chi-Square test. The results showed that (1) The medical care treatment rate of chronic disease patients at SHPHs in KhaoYoi Health network was 35.3%. (2) Most of the sample group were female, average age of 62.78 years old, having average monthly income of 5,000 baht, unemployed, obtained elementary education, were diagnosed hypertension. Patients had an average illness duration of 7.68 years, accessibility channel was not30-baht-co-pay licensed health insurance, average distance of home and SHPH was 1.67 kilometer, average commuting duration of 11.35 minutes, commuted by motorbike, and had high levels of service quality and overall illness perception. (3) Factors associated with receiving medical care of patients with chronic at the health promoting hospitals in KhaoYoi district health network (income, educational level, health plan, commuting duration) significantly related to medical treatment reception among chronic disease patients, at 0.05 level, while service quality perception on holistic health service, continuous treatment, health service sufficiency, SHPH creditability, and equal accessibility significantly related to the medical treatment reception among chronic disease patients, at 0.001 level, and (4) Comments and suggestions from the patients were that there should be a home visit, sufficient health personnel, better service speed, sufficient service space, and adequate media.