High-cost users still came to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic during first wave data in Thailand: secondary data analysis.

Background: The phenomenon of high-cost users (HCUs) in health care occurs when a small proportion of patients account for a large proportion of health care expenditures. By understanding this phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic, tailored interventions can be provided to ensure that patients receive the care they need and reduce the burden on the health system.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine (1) whether the HCUs phenomenon occurred during the pandemic in Thailand by exploring the pattern of inpatient health expenditures over time from 2016 to 2021; (2) the patient characteristics of HCUs; (3) the top 5 primary diagnoses of HCUs; and (4) the potential predictors associated with being an HCU.

The impact of universal health coverage and COVID-19 pandemic on out-of-pocket expenses in Thailand: an analysis of household survey from 1994 to 2021.

Objectives: After Thailand achieved Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in 2002, the extent of financial risk protection has not been assessed in the long term, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to revisit the impact of UHC on out-of-pocket expenses (OOPE) for health and to descriptively explore the impact of COVID-19 on OOPE.

Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis and used data from the Socio-Economic Survey from 1994 to 2021 in Thailand.

Pattern of OPD utilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic under the Universal Coverage Scheme in Thailand: what can 850 million records tell us?

Background: Out-patient department (OPD) is a crucial component of the healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries including Thailand. A considerable impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its control measures, especially the lockdown, on utilisation of OPD services was expected. This study thus aims to estimate the pattern of OPD utilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand including overall utilisation and within each sub-groups including diagnostic group, age group, and health region.

Estimating the potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment of acute appendicitis in Thailand using a secondary data analysis of service utilization before, during and after the COVID-19 lockdown policy.

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies; however, optimal diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis remains challenging. We used the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown policy as a natural experiment to explore potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment of acute appendicitis in Thailand. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment of acute appendicitis in Thailand by examining service utilization before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown policy.