Noncommunicable Disease Service Utilization among Expatriate Patients in Thailand: An Analysis of Hospital Service Data, 2014–2018

Abstract

Global morbidity associated with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has increased over the years. In Thailand, NCDs are among the most prevalent of all health problems, and affect both Thai citizens and non-Thai residents, such as expatriates. Key barriers to NCD health service utilization among expatriates include cultural and language differences. This study aimed to describe the situation and factors associated with NCD service utilizations among expatriate patients in Thailand. We employed a cross-sectional study design and used the service records of public hospitals from the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) during the fiscal years 2014–2018. The focus of this study was on expatriates or those who had stayed in Thailand for at least three months. The results showed that, after 2014, there was an increasing trend in NCD service utilizations among expatriate patients for both outpatient (OP) and inpatient (IP) care. For OP care, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) expatriates had fewer odds of NCD service utilization, relative to non-CLMV expatriates (p-value < 0.001). For IP care, males tended to have greater odds of NCD service utilization compared with females (AdjOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.05–1.74, p-value = 0.019). Increasing age showed a significant association with NCD service utilization. In addition, there was a growing trend of the NCD prevalence amongst expatriate patients. This issue points to a need for prompt public health actions if Thailand aims to have all people on its soil protected with universal health coverage for their well-being, as stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goals. Future studies that aim to collect primary evidence of expatriates at the household level should be conducted. Additional research on other societal factors that may help provide a better insight into access to healthcare for NCDs, such as socioeconomic status, beliefs, and attitudes, should be conducted.