The Situations of Emergency Medical Services Associated with Elderly Falls in Thailand: Policy Recommendation

Authors

  • ศรวณีย์ ทนุชิต Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program
  • ดนัย ชินคำ Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program
  • ณัฐธิดา มาลาทอง Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program
  • สุรเดช ดวงทิพย์สิริกุล Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program
  • ศรีเพ็ญ ตันติเวสส Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program

Keywords:

Emergency Medical Services, Elderly, Fall

Abstract

Falling in elderly people is a major public health problem with its rate increasing throughout the world. Globally, around 1,000 people in this group die from falls each year, or an average of three people per day. Falls in elderly people result in a lower quality of life due to the disability, the inability to perform daily activities by themselves, and an increase in death rates. Moreover, it results in medical treatment and hospital stays which lead to increasing healthcare expenditures. If elderly people can get access to emergency medical services promptly to receive appropriate treatment, they will be safer with reduced complications and shorter lengths of stay in the hospital. This study aims to develop Emergency Medical Services in cases of after elderly person falls in Thailand. The study was conducted through: 1) literature and document reviews on national and international experiences in emergency medical services for the elderly 2) in-depth interview and focus group discussions with key informants who are involved in emergency medical services systems and 3) stakeholder meetings to consult on Emergency Medical Services Development for elderly falls. As a result, it shows from the literature review that there is no specific Emergency Medical Services program for falling elderly people. However, the priority is given to the appropriateness of technology usage to facilitate elderly persons rescue calls during falls. The in-depth interviews and focus group discussions show that Thailand might not need Emergency Medical Services dedicated specifically for falling elderly people because its current services have generally covered all health issues for everyone. Meanwhile, the important problems are the lack of experienced personnel to provide Emergency Medical Services, with many of them still needing more training in providing care to falling elderly persons. The policy recommendations for Emergency Medical Services development for elderly falls in Thailand include that National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) and relevant organizations should provide the practical training to the emergency medical personnel in the scope of emergency medicine for falling elderly persons. The National Institute for Emergency Medicine and Ministry of Public Health should also provide financial support for the development of emergency medical services system including human resources development, manpower recruitment, and necessary tools and technologies to enhance services efficiency.

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Published

2019-06-04

Issue

Vol. 6 (2019): Journal of Professional Routine to Research

Section

Research Articles

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บทความทุกบทความที่ตีพิมพ์ในวารสารการพัฒนางานประจำสู่งานวิจัย (JPR2R) ถือว่าเป็นลิขสิทธิ์ของวารสารการพัฒนางานประจำสู่งานวิจัย คณะสิ่งแวดล้อมและทรัพยากรศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล