Improvement of Medical Laboratory Dispatching System of the Hospital Network in Khon Kaen Province, 2016 - 2017

Abstract

The objective of this research was to develop and establish a dispatching system for laboratory analysis in order to reduce the cost for laboratory services in the health system. The main priciple was to form a network that linked community hospitals that had the number of beds lowere than 120 with community hospitals of 120 beds and over within Khon Kaen Province. The free-of-charge laboratory specimen transportation services within the network were arranged by reagent suppliers. The study was conducted as a descriptive study with the aim to encourage at least 50.00% of small community hospitals to participate the program by linking with the hosptal nodes which were Phon hospital and Chum Phae hospital; with an expectattion to reduce the laboratory service cost by 30.00%. As for the outcomes, there were 9 of 13 community hospitals participated in the project (69.23%). During the period from May 2016 to June 2017, the total cost of laboratory services performed by Phon hospital and Chum Phae hospital was 1,757,470.00 baht. In addition, the total value of service fee for the year 2014 is 2,676,931.00 baht, resulting in the cost reduction of up to 919,461.00 baht (34.35%). Such approach should be further promoted in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the health system in providing laboratory services among community hospitals.