Abstract:
This study was aimed at developing criteria and guidelines for identification and classification of
hardship areas. This was part of a study on “Reform of Financial Incentives for Public Health Personnel”
submitted to the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. Criteria to identify hardship areas included transportation,
city-life effect and economic development. It was found that, in classification of hardship areas
using developed criteria, 69.8 percent corresponded with the opinions of the provincial chief medical
officers. A guideline to classify hardship areas using hardship scores and confirmation by using opinions
of the provincial chief medical officers and health inspectors involved some difficulties and limitations
during implementation. There is a need to improve this methodological approach.
