The Estimated Unit Cost Analysis of Laboratory Services in Disease Control Medical Laboratory of the Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 7 Khon Kaen

Abstract

          An objective of this study was to estimate a unit cost analysis of laboratory services in a disease control medical laboratory of the Office of Disease Prevention and Control 7 Khon Kaen. The study was descriptive research. Retrospective data in the fiscal year of 2021 were collected via record form of a cost on laboratory services; tuberculosis, HIV, occupational and environmental diseases, COVID-19. Descriptive statistics used for data analysis. The results revealed that.

         1) A total number of health personnel in the disease control medical laboratory was 13 persons; healthcare officers 10 persons, permanent employee 1 person and temporary employee 1 person. The highest cost in each category divided as follow; in labor cost was tuberculosis laboratory services; in material cost was COVID-19 laboratory services; in medical appliance cost was occupational and environmental diseases laboratory services; in building cost was occupational and environmental diseases laboratory services and in direct cost was HIV laboratory services. The highest cost in total was HIV laboratory services. The highest unit cost was the occupational and environmental diseases laboratory unit with a number of 48,990.41 baht per unit, followed by HIV laboratory services, COVID-19 laboratory unit and tuberculosis laboratory unit (1,664.75, 1,269.94 and 858.98 baht per unit respectively)

          From the results of this study indicated that the cost of occupational and environmental diseases service unit and HIV service unit were the highest. Moreover, the findings could be applied in policy implication and effective resource and financial management of medical laboratories in disease control. Especially, optimal and qualified services requirement should be conduct although there was a limited budget allocation. Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of each aspect of laboratory analysis compared to the operational process should be studied to enable further cost-effective management of laboratory tests.