Abstract:
This study is descriptive research. Its objective is to analyze the activity
costs in the treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris of the patients at the Outpatient
Department (OPD) of the Institute of Dermatology Bangkok. The main
activities were registering, medical record searching, pre-examination screening,
examining, post-examination consulting, prescribing, payment receiving and drug
dispensing. These 8 activities were broken into 17 sub-activities. Activity Based
Costing was used in the analysis. The samples were 57 clinical staff who were
working on Psoriasis Vulgaris treatment at the OPD of the Institute and 1,962
Psoriasis Vulgaris patients. The study period was from 1 October 2006 to 30
September 2007. The cost data were compiled by using 4 data recording forms and by
searching from the database of the OPD. The cost of patient services was itemized to
capital expenditure and operating expenditure. The data were analyzed using
descriptive statistical parameters, i.e. average, percentage.
It was found that 45.6 percent of the clinical staffs had more than 10 years
of experience. Most, or 42.1 percent, were older than 40 years old. 66.6 percent were
civil servants. For the Psoriasis Vulgaris patients, it was found most, or 56 percent,
were male. The average age was 43.3. 22.1 percent were from 41 to 50 years old
followed by an age range of 31 to 40, at 21 percent. It was found that 28.5 percent
had primary school education. 17 percent were employees, followed by civil servants
at 15.5 percent.
For the activity cost, it was found that the total average cost was 538.7
Baht. Cost incurred from examination activity was the highest at 449.7 Baht, or 83.46
percent of the total cost. The second highest was medical record searching at 27.43
Baht and the post-examination consulting activity at 24.20 Baht. The activity that cost
the least was registering activity, at 0.99 Baht.
From the results of the study, the administrators can use the information
from the activity based costing system, i.e. cost driver and performance measure, as
the tools to properly manage the costs of services. Together with the performance
assessment in each activity it will initiate Total Quality Control.