Factors Associated with Getting Timely Coronary Catheterization of Patients with Acute Ischemic Heart Disease of Hospitals in Thailand

The objective of this study was to investigate the current effectiveness of timely coronary catheterization among patients with acute ischemic heart disease and to study the rates of timely coronary catheterization separated according to various hospital factors, including the study of various hospital factors affecting the timely delivery of coronary catheterization of patients with acute ischemic heart disease in Thailand. The secondary data during 2018-2019 was collected from 1,180 hospitals serving cardiac patients in Thailand and analyzed by using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The difference between variables were conducted by one-way ANOVA and the relationship between variables were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The study found that Thailand still has problems with both a shortage of cardiac catheterization centers and improper concentration of the cardiac catheterization center. Most of the hospitals that serve cardiac patients in Thailand (89%) do not have a cardiac catheterization facility, especially in the Northeast area of Thailand. Instead, a high concentration of cardiac catheterization center was found in hospitals in Bangkok (10.42%). It’s also found that cardiac catheterization rooms are often located in larger hospitals with size of more than 120 beds (80.77%). As such problems contribute to the rate of timely cardiac catheterization. In general, Thailand has not yet passed the threshold (more than 50%) because it can only achieve 49.15%, especially the 7th health service area (Khon Kaen, Kalasin, Mahasarakham, Roi Et) has a low rate of timely treatment (15. 22%). The results found that the mean rate of timely catheterization statistically better among the hospitals larger than 120 beds, hospitals with cardiac catheterization center and private hospitals, and by analyzing the relationship between various factors of hospitals including the number of beds, the established period, proportion of the number of cardiac catheterization centers to the number of service area hospitals in where the hospital is located, type of hospital and the existence of cardiac catheterization center to the rate of timely catheterization by analyzing multiple regression analysis, it was found that various hospital factors can jointly predict trends of the rate of timely treatment at a moderate level, 24 percent (adjusted R2 = 0. 246). The results suggest that the rate of timely coronary catheterization is currently lagging and the Thai Ministry of Public Health budget should be allocated to provide more cardiac catheterization centers and should be more inclusive throughout the country especially in the northeastern provinces where there is still a shortage.