Development of village health volunteer’s capacity on non-chronic communicable diseases management: A study of the undertaking area of Nam Sub Health Promoting Hospital, Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

Village health volunteers (VHV) are represent of health personnel in taking care and making a good quality of life for all in community. It is necessary to develop their potential by increasing their skills (Upskill) in managing the problem of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The upskill principle of four elements (In Thai called 4 ORs) involving emotion, eating, exercise and elimination for NCDs management were applied. This study aimed to develop the VHV’s capacity and investigated the development results. Target group of thirty-three VHVs was pleasantly selected from ten villages undertaking by Nam Sub Health Promoting Hospital, Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Three phases of this action research included the preliminary study, the capacity development process and the results evaluation. The study implementation used 10 months (January 2020 to October 2020). The tools consisted of the Upskill training course, questionnaires and the skills evaluation form. Quantitative data were used descriptive statistics and paired t-test and content analysis was done for qualitative data.

Results of the study found that after the VHVs’ capacity development had a statistically significant increase in scores of all aspects of NCDs management. There consisted of knowledge (t=12.22, p<.001), perceived self-efficacy (t=10.17, p<.001), outcome expectation (t=11.46, p<.001) and self-management behavior (t=13.55, p<.001). Significant impacts of the Upskill on the NCDs management in community found that 100% of those who were not yet the illness and at risk remained stable well-being and have not become an incidence of the diseases. Approximately 19.67% of the diabetes, 45.90% of the hypertension, 13.11% of both diabetes and hypertension, and 21.31% of hyperlipidemia, these were able to control the diseases as well. Moreover, the study also found that 19.67% of those number of patients had been reduced and terminated drug use from a doctor's ruling. Of which reduced their drug use in with diabetes and hyperlipidemia were equal to 16.67% and with hypertension were up to 50%. Patents of which terminated drug use in with hypertension and hyperlipidemia were the same to 8.33%. However, this study indicates that it is possible to reduce a government budget on taking care of NCDs in the patients.