This nationally representative household survey applied standard OECD methods:
all individuals were asked whether there was a time in the previous 12 months
when they felt they needed outpatient and/or admission services but did not
receive them; this was followed by a question as to why the need for care was
unmet. This study prompted the NHSO to collaborate with the National Statistical
Office and include these questions in the biennial Health and Welfare Surveys.
The proportion of total unmet need in Thailand due to unaffordable cost of care,
1.3% for outpatient and 16.7% for inpatient services, compares well with several
OECD countries30 (see Figure 12).