ENHANCING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY: A PARTICIPATORY STRATEGIC PLANNING APPROACH IN MAE PHUN, THAILAND
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/apsr.2025.7Keywords:
Participatory Strategic Plan, Local Governance, Emergency Medical Services, Elderly Care, ThailandAbstract
This study examines the development and evaluation of a participatory strategic plan for managing emergency medical services (EMS) for the elderly in Mae Phun Subdistrict, Thailand. Through a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative and quantitative data, it analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) faced by local administrative organizations (LAOs) in managing EMS. The findings reveal the potential of participatory planning to enhance local governance and improve policy implementation, but also highlight challenges of decentralization, resource constraints, and telecommunication limitations. The strategic plan, developed through collaboration with stakeholders, incorporates four key strategies: promoting innovations, enhancing resources, improving environmental management, and strengthening inter-organizational collaboration. The evaluation indicated strong agreement among stakeholders regarding the plan's suitability, utility, efficiency, and effectiveness. The study contributes to understanding local governance and policy formulation in the context of aging populations, offering insights for Southeast Asia and beyond.
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