The Reduction of Inequality in Accessing Health Services under Universal Health Coverage of the Elderly in Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

The research aims to 1) study the situation of Inequality in Accessing Health Services under universal Health Coverage of the elderly in Nonthaburi Province, 2) study the causes of Inequality in Accessing Health Services under universal Health Coverage of the elderly in Nonthaburi Province, and 3) study guidelines to reduce Inequality in Accessing Health Services under universal Health Coverage of the elderly in Nonthaburi Province. This research is qualitative research that involves studying and analyzing data from documents, textbooks, dissertations, research articles, published documents, and collecting field data through in-depth interviews with the elderly Health management group in Nonthaburi Province and the focus group in the area of elderly receiving Services under universal Health Coverage in Nonthaburi Province. Collect data by interview form and analyzed by analytic induction method to obtain information according to the research objectives.
The findings of the research reveal that the situation is unequal in Accessing Health Services under Health insurance under universal Care for the elderly in Nonthaburi Province, there are still inequalities in all four areas: Health promotion, preventing diseases, medical treatment, and rehabilitation. The characteristics of Inequality include receiving Services from different personnel and medical equipment, receiving insufficient information about Health service and spending a long time waiting for Services. They are treated differently and do not receive the convenience of Accessing Health Services. the causes of Inequality include:
1) government Policy, 2) Economic conditions, 3) Coverage of service locations, 4) distribution of medical personnel and equipment, 5) perception of Health service news, and 6) physical capacity. there are guidelines for reducing Inequality, including 1) decentralizing power,
(2) creating participation of civil Society and communities, 3) developing a Network Health service System, 4) increasing Health Services to ensure sufficiency, 5) distributing Coverage of service locations, 6) raising the quality of Health Services, and 7) creating widespread awareness of Health service news. the Policy recommendations are: 1) developing the Health information System for the elderly, 2) decentralizing authority to local government Organizations in managing Health Services for the elderly, 3) developing Health Services Network Systems, 4) promoting community and civil Society participation, and 5) developing competencies of the hospital to promote sub-district Health for higher performance.