Health Effects of the Asthma Care Program under the Universal Coverage Scheme in Children and Young Adults in Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the asthma care program available under the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) in Thailand on hospital admissions per 100,000 population, its regional and seasonal variation, readmission within 28 days, and the asthma-specific fatality rate of patients aged 0–29 years in 2009–2016 compared with those in 2007–2008. A retrospective study was conducted using data sources from the UCS register and in-patient databases from the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Thailand. Hospital admissions per 100,000 population was the highest among those aged 0–4 years, but the trends decreased from 470.8 to 288.1 per 100,000 population in 2010–2014. The hospital admission rates were high in Southern Thailand and common in rainy seasons. The readmission rates within 28 days slightly decreased in all age groups in 2016 compared to those in 2007. The case fatality rate of patients aged 20–29 years decreased from 0.40% in 2007 to 0.34% in 2016. The readmission rate within 28 days and case fatality rate were the highest in patients aged 20–29 years. In conclusion, the asthma hospital admission, readmission, and case fatality rates declined over time along with the investment in the asthma care program under the UCS in Thailand. The highest hospital admission rates in patients aged 0–4 years and the readmission and case fatality rates in patients aged 20–29 years should be given more attention. Recordings of individual service utilization data in asthma patients, including quality of care provided, should be monitored to improve the asthma care system.