The study of older adult healthcare model in Narathiwat Province

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to 1) study the components and patterns of older adult healthcare model in Narathiwat Province, 2) access opinions on the appropriateness of the model, and 3) examine driving factors in the implementation of older adult healthcare model. It was divided into three parts. Part I Review and analyze of documents and relevant literature regarding components and patterns of older adult healthcare model. Part II Quantitative research: The appropriateness of older adult healthcare models was evaluated. Random accidental sampling was used to recruit 178 individuals. A questionnaire was utilized to gauge opinions of public health officers on the appropriateness of the model that was developed by the researchers. The content validity of the questionnaires was verified by three experts, yielding values for index of item objective congruence (IOC) ranging from 0.67-1.00. The reliability test of the questionnaire obtained Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.98. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation. Part III Qualitative focus group discussion: The driving factors in implementing older adult healthcare model were studied by gathering opinions from a specific sample of 170 individuals through summary record forms. The qualitative data were validated by experts. Data analysis was carried out for content accuracy and relevance.

The findings revealed that the older adult healthcare model operated under the Charathiwat Policy; incorporating comprehensive 9 aspects of health screening, both proactive and reactive screening, convenient older adult clinic, Charathiwat Mobile Clinic, digital health and telemedicine, seamless referrals and Intermediate care, linking primary care services with 3 doctors, promotion of  desirable behaviors for older adults, active involvement of provincial-level older adult health committee,  memorandum of understanding (MOU) of network partners from seven ministries, and district-level quality of life development committee.

The model evaluation indicated an overall high appropriateness (=3.89, SD=0.81) with the highest appropriateness observed in administration (=4.01, SD=0.79) and service system (=4.01, SD=0.78), following closely were efficient teams (=3.99, SD=0.79) and organizational management (=3.96, SD=0.81) respectively. Key factors driving the model included clear policy; same direction setting; concrete work tracking process; standardized, integrated health services by a multidisciplinary team,  digital or technology usage in the reporting system, telemedicine usage for diagnosis and treatment, seamless referral system, MOUs of 7 ministries network,  and regular Charathiwat events.