Development of An Information Technology-Based System for Managing Outpatient Medical Fee Reductions: A Case Study of the Social Work System at Siriraj Hospital

Abstract

This article aims to describe the design, development, and evaluation process of an information system that supports the operations of the social work department in facilitating outpatient medical fee exemptions. It also compares the efficiency of the new system with the previous manual system, with the goal of reducing paperwork, approval time, and enhancing operational transparency. The development process began by analyzing the problems in the existing workflow, which relied heavily on paper documentation and multi-step coordination. User requirements were then collected across different operational levels to guide the design of a web-based application capable of structured data storage, request tracking, and role-based access control. The results showed that the new system reduced the average approval time from several hours to less than an hour, minimized data entry errors, and improved user satisfaction. Furthermore, the system aligns with the Smart Hospital initiative promoted by the Ministry of Public Health, which encourages the integration of digital technology to enhance quality and operational efficiency in public health services sustainably.