Development of Public Service Innovations to Enhance the Quality of Life of Older Adults Through Digital Services of Municipalities in Pathum Thani Province

Abstract

This study aims to: (1) examine the current state of digital public service provision by municipalities in Pathum Thani Province; (2) analyze the problems and obstacles of digital public services that affect elderly people’s access to and use of such services; and (3) develop innovative models of municipal digital public services that can enhance the quality of life of older adults in accordance with the local context. This study employed a qualitative research design. Key informants consisted of municipal administrators and officials, elderly residents in municipal areas, and experts in local administration and digital government, totaling 54 participants. The research instruments included in-depth interview guides and document analysis forms. Data were analyzed using content analysis and interpretive analysis.

The findings reveal that: (1) digital public service provision by municipalities in Pathum Thani Province remains in a phase of structural transition. Although digital technologies have been increasingly adopted, most services function primarily as information dissemination channels and extensions of existing administrative processes, rather than as fully developed digital service systems that are genuinely elderly-centered; (2) problems and obstacles in digital public service delivery are multidimensional and structural in nature, encompassing a lack of data integration, limitations in human resources and digital competencies, service designs that do not correspond to the physical and cognitive constraints of older adults, as well as insufficient digital skills and confidence among the elderly; and (3) six key innovative models of municipal digital public services for enhancing the quality of life of older adults were developed. These include elderly centered and co-designed service models, one-stop digital service centers, community-based digital support and digital literacy development mechanisms, integrated elderly data systems for proactive service delivery, multi-sectoral collaborative networks, and adaptive governance mechanisms for continuous monitoring and service improvement.