Abstract
District health system considered as a lever point to improve the quality of life of people which mechanism of driving in the district area rely on district health board in which the development process would be sustainable successfully, the process must be consistent with the context of the area and the empirical information is needed for the decision. The objectives of this study were to develop the geographic information system for health management of the district health board and to synthesize the purposed policy of using the geographic information system to improve quality of life among population in the area. Mixed method of research and development design integrated with participatory action research (PAR) were applied in the study. The study processes divided into three phases: phase 1: the development of geographic information system to improve quality of life, phase 2: the assessment of the implementation of the system, and phase 3: the synthesis of purposed policy in the development of the system. The study was set in two districts of Nakhonsawan province. The finding showed that: 1. The development of geographic information system to improve quality of life had five steps: 1) the study of essential information, 2) the distribution of data resources both in an original database and new information, 3) the connection of essential information from the database of organizations which related to the improvement of quality of life among population in the area, 4) the creation of conditions for analyzing data and presenting in the program that called Geographic information system: GIS through website (http://118.175.82.80/dhb/web/index.php) in which general population and the district health board can access to by computer and mobile phone but in a different level, and 5) the implementation combines with decision making in determine issues for improving quality of life of people, planning and evaluation 2. The assessment of the implementation of the system revealed that the for the long term care of vulnerable group, especially the elderly is thoroughly taken planning of care, can access to essential services and social welfare, and having skills for self-care that help to reduce the risk of complication from their existing diseases. 3. The synthesis of purposed policy in the development of the system had four issues:1) having district health data center for quality of life improvement, 2) having organizational structure in geographic information system management, 3) having the potential development of the committee in using information for decision making related to public health, and 4) having an exchange process for learning from practice. Therefore, in using geographic information system for the decision making to improve the quality of life of people in the area, the district health board must use the empirical information which consistent with the context of those areas. These will lead to the management of population health which is the true concept base of the district health system as saying that “The development that use community as base and people as center”.
