A study of Performance According to Occupational Health and Environmental Medicine Service Standard in the hospital, Health Region 9, 2021-2022

Abstract

Occupational and Environmental Diseases Control Act B.E. 2562 requires health units to be able to provide appropriate occupational health and environmental medicine services to workers and people in the area. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to assess the standards of occupational health services provided by hospitals in health region 9 during 2021–2022. Purposive sampling selection was utilized, and a total of 40 hospitals evaluated in 2021–2022 were assessed. Data for each item were collected using the assessment form of the Department of Disease Control, and responsible personnel were interviewed for additional information. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and content analysis was conducted for each item and element. The results indicated that 40 out of 89 hospitals in health region 9 were assessed (45%). Approximately 30 hospitals (75%) were at the beginning level of development, while 6 hospitals (15%) achieved an excellent level. Among the Center/General hospitals, 66.7% achieved an excellent level, while 87.9% of community hospitals were at the beginning level. To improve the standard of occupational health services, hospitals should receive operational policy support from provincial agencies and undergo supervision, monitoring, and academic evaluation. The focus should be on developing the potential of personnel responsible for occupational health and environmental medicine. Additionally, promoting knowledge and understanding in the operation of occupational medicine and environmental medicine is crucial for the hospitals to function sustainably in a network format and continuously present performance results.