The development of guidelines for implementation of intermediate care in Special Areas: A Case Study of Phrunai Sub-district Health Promotion Hospital, Phang Nga Province

Abstract

 This participatory action research aims to study the situation of home care visits for intermediate care patients and to develop effective home visit guidelines that comply with standards and the community context. The research will be conducted from October 2023 to October 2024, with a sample size of 40 participants selected purposefully. This group includes staff working at Phrunai Sub-District Health Promotion Hospital, network partners (local administrative organizations, community leaders, caregivers), and patient caregivers. Data will be collected using semi-structured interviews that have been validated for content by three experts. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data will be analyzed through content analysis. The research findings reveal that: 1) The situation of home care visits for intermediate care patients faces limitations regarding personnel numbers, medical equipment, caregiver capabilities, and coordination between agencies, as well as a lack of systematic operational guidelines and clear evaluation methods appropriate to the local context. 2) The development of effective home visit guidelines resulted in (1) the establishment of home visit guidelines in special areas through the participation of a multidisciplinary team and network partners, including community leaders, religious leaders, caregivers, and patient caregivers; (2) clear practices for developing the home visit process before, during, and after visits (3) standardized patient assessment tools and (4) comprehensive innovations used in patient care. The research suggests applying the developed guidelines and innovations to care for patients across all disease groups, as well as conducting in-depth studies on the outcomes of spiritual care for patients by integrating Islamic principles