Development of Health Service and Promotion of Well-being at Border Between Ubon Ratchathani Province and Neighboring

Abstract

          This research and development (R&D) project aimed ; To analyze issues, develop, and evaluate the healthcare service system at the border, as well as to enhance overall health and wellness between Ubon Ratchathani Province and neighboring countries. The research was conducted from December 2022 to December 2023. The target group consisted of 456 individuals including border public health officials, migrant workers, public health officers, emergency responders from Champasak Province, Wang Tao checkpoint officials, the working group developing border crossing channels, Kumit City network, and public health service users along the Thai-Laos border. Data was collected using perception assessment forms, record sheets, and focus group discussion guides, and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and content analysis.
          The study found that the development of cross-border healthcare services and the promotion of well-being between Ubon Ratchathani Province and neighboring countries involved three main aspects: (1)Challenges in Border Health Services: A review of literature and findings from focus group discussions revealed issues related to individuals, the environment, and the public health system. (2)Components of Cross-Border Health Services: These include five key areas—healthcare and medical services, disease surveillance, prevention, and control, access to services, relationships between service providers and recipients, and comprehensive and continuous healthcare services. Overall awareness among the target group was moderate (Mean = 4.33, SD = 0.03), and (3) Satisfaction with the Health Services: After the improvement of cross-border healthcare systems, 50.3% of the service recipients along the Thai-Lao border expressed moderate satisfaction with the overall healthcare services.