Follow-up for Disabled, Bedridden, Cancer Patients and Primary Pharmaceutical Care by Using the LINE Application in Kut Chum District, Yasothon Province

Abstract

Currently, LINE application is a communication technology that is accessible by everyone, with fast connection, and no service fee is needed. It can transmit both data and picture which can be used for communication in health care, particlularly to connect with bed-ridden patients, terminally ill cases, and those unable to visit health facility. The objective of this study was develop a home care model for bediridden or termenally-ill patients with the use of LINE application; and assess the outcomes of the model. It was conducted as a participatory action research in the sub-districts of Phon-Ngam, Nong Mee, Hua-Ngour, and Kut Chum Municipality from March - December 2015. In the process, the LINE application was used for information transfer among village health volunteers, community leaders, officers of sub-district health promoting hospitals and the network of the drug and health product monitoring system, Kudchum hospital. Follow-up home visits were performed in the patients who had a medical problems. Drug use evaluation and side effect monitoring were performed during home visits to the pa-tients. As for the results, the LINE application was utilized to communicate health care information for an average of 6 patients per month; and altegether 36 patients were referred to the pharmacist. The follow-up via the LINE application was conducted 31 patients (86.11 percent), covering all 4 subdistricts. Thus LINE communication was able to support home care activities and facilitate the coordination among all key stake-holdes, particularly the community leaders, representatives from local administration organizations, village health volunteers, officers of sub-district health promoting hospitals; and the service outcomes were highly satisfied. With the LINE communication, medical services would be more accessible by those in need, despite of living in the remote area.