Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated the incurred direct non-medical costs (DNMc) of in-patients in
Thailand. However, the extent to which individual factors are associated with the DNMc is as of yet
unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine factors influencing the DNMc of in-patients at Suratthani
hospital.
We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate DNMc from 301 in-patients who were admitted at
Suratthani hospital during 8 May - 5 September 2012. Travel costs of the patients and the daily DNMc of
the caretakers were estimated using 2012 as the base year. The associations between DNMc and relevant
attributes, including admission ward, gender, age, household area, and the chronic condition for which
the patients were admitted, were assessed using statistical methods at the significance level of 0.05.
The mean travel cost of the patients was 251.9 Baht, and the mean of the 24-hour DNMc of the
caretakers was 1,417.0 Baht. Evidence indicates that factors associated with patients’ travel costs include
ward (p-value<0.0005), gender (p-value=0.02) and household area (p-value<0.0005). For caretakers, factors
associated with the daily DNMc were ward (p-value<0.0005), gender (p-value=0.005), age (p-value =
0.02) and household area (p-value<0.0005).
The results of this study indicate that admission ward, gender, and patients’ household area play an
important role in determining patients’ travel costs and DNMc of the caregivers. Future research should
focus on identifying underlying factors influencing the DNMc across these relevant factors. In addition,
measures to reduce this hidden cost, such as improving the capacity of the community hospitals for managing
certain common diseases, are highly recommended, with the aim of alleviating economic barriers to
hospital access by patients.
