Evaluation of Smart Hospital Implementation in Trat Province, Thailand

Abstract

     This survey research aimed to: 1) assess the overall implementation of Smart Hospitals in Trat Province according to the Ministry of Public Health assessment criteria for fiscal year 2025; 2) analyze the level of progress and differences in implementation among healthcare facilities; 3) synthesize system-level facilitating and barrier factors affecting implementation; and 4) propose policy and administrative recommendations for improving implementation in accordance with local context. The study population consisted of all seven hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health in Trat Province, all of which were included as units of analysis. Research instruments included a data analysis form based on the Smart Hospital assessment criteria and a provincial-level system recording and synthesis form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, comparative system analysis, and prioritization of recommendations through the Impact and Feasibility Matrix.

     The findings showed that the overall implementation of Smart Hospitals in Trat Province was at a relatively high level, with a mean score of 748.70 out of 1,000 points (74.87%), which was higher than both the average score of Regional Health Area 6 and the national average. When considering individual domains, infrastructure and management were found to be at a high level, whereas personnel represented a common limitation across the province. Two hospitals achieved Diamond level, and five hospitals achieved Silver level, while no hospital achieved Gold level. A key finding was the presence of a Gold Zone Gap in three hospitals, where total scores met the quantitative threshold for Gold level but failed to meet the qualitative criteria due to incomplete electronic queue systems.