Field Hospital Administrative System in COVID-19 Situation: A Case Study of Budsarakhum Hospital

Abstract

Budsarakhum Hospital was a large field hospital specialized in providing temporary care for COVID-19 patients. The research objectives were to describe the current situation, problems, constraints, and administrative strategies of Budsarakhum Hospital and to develop policy recommendations for field hospital administrative systems. This is qualitative research and documentary review with a purposive sampling on directors of field hospitals from public and private sectors; emergency medical specialists; administrators and health care providers; including patients who were admitted to Budsarakhum Hospital. Data were collected from participants through in-depth interview and analyzed using the content analysis. Results: 1) From literature review and interviews with experts, administrative system of Budsarakhum Hospital was compliant to administrative model of field hospital for COVID-19, in the scope of input, process and output. However, the emergency human resource mobilization and outcome monitoring were unclear. 2) Problems, constraints, including hospital administrative strategies were identified on hospital structure, extra-organizational communications, risk management, infection control, personnel recruitment and stress management, medical record system, handling of medical materials/devices, admission process, clinical care, patient referral system, and outcome monitoring. 3) Policy recommendations on administrative system of field hospital focused on the information for the public, private, and people sectors to prepare themselves to deal with the epidemic particularly field hospital administrative system if facing future crises.