Development of Participatory Telemedicine Service System for Elderly with Non-Communicable Diseases in Kaeng Sanam Nang District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

Currently, telemedicine plays an important role in accessing healthcare services, especially for the elderly with non-communicable diseases (NCDs); telemedicine must be developed appropriately. This research and development was conducted in three phases, each with corresponding objectives: 1) to explore the context and needs of users of participatory telemedicine services for older adults with chronic non-communicable diseases, 2) to develop a telemedicine service system, and 3) to evaluate the results of using telemedicine services. The study participants comprised 206 older adults with NCDs and 23 individuals working in public health and community-based services. The tool used is a collaborative telemedicine service system developed for the elderly with non-communicable diseases. The intervention lasted three months. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, content analysis, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The findings were as follows: 1) 100% of the older adults were unfamiliar with telemedicine systems and lacked access to communication devices. 2) The developed participatory telemedicine service system comprised three service access points: community-based, hospital-based, and sub-district health promotion hospital-based. 3) In terms of health outcomes, a statistically significant improvement was observed among older adults with diabetes who achieved better blood glucose control. Among those with hypertension, significant differences were found in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Regarding satisfaction, both service users and providers reported high satisfaction levels across all dimensions. The study concludes that the developed system can be effectively integrated into community health services and used to strengthen collaborative health network operations.