Page 66 - 2022 Taiwan Health and Welfare Report

Chapter 5 Health Care in Remote Areas
▏Section 1 Localized Health Care and Telemedicine
To uphold the quality of medical care and the right to health for people in remote and offshore areas, the MOHW stands by the principles of "relocating doctors instead of patients" and "health cannot wait" with strengthening functions of local health care. Moreover, incorporating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into medical care services and applications is increasingly the norm during the internet Age. On May 11, 2018, the MOHW implemented the "Rules of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment by Telecommunications" to promote telehealth services and improve resource allocation, thereby making sure that people in remote and offshore areas have timely access to health services. No one is to be left behind as distance no longer affects the delivery of medical care services by optimizing medical system in the aforesaid areas. Measures on this front include:
1. The MOHW Penghu Hospital's Cardiovascular Care Center has been officially operating since December 4 2013. By December 2021, the Center had provided treatment to 1,255 people. The Center helps to improve the quality of treatment for patients with cardiovascular diseases and tailor care to local needs.
2. The MOHW Penghu Hospital's Chemotherapy Center was established in October 2015. By December 2021, the Center had completed treatment of 4,732 people to provide convenient, timely and appropriate treatment and care for cancer patients, relieve Penghu residents from the necessity to travel to Taiwan increasing localization of medical care.
3. The MOHW Kinmen Hospital's Cardiovascular Care Center was established in October 2015 and by December 2021, the Center had provided treatment to 1,506 people. The Center has improved local emergency care capacities and reduced the frequency of emergency evacuation by the means of air transport. The Center offers first-line treatment for acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome, providing people in Kinmen with safe comprehensive medical care.
4. To effectively provide non-urgent but much needed outpatient services in remote areas, in 2018 Chenggong Branch of Taitung Hospital has utilized cutting-edge ICT technologies to construct its "Telemedicine Outpatient System" by collaborating with Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital to engage specialist physicians to provide diagnosis and treatment. The Fengbin Branch of MOHW Hua- Lien Hospital, Hengchun Tourism Hospital and MOHW Penghu Hospital provided outpatient services since 2020, MOHW Yuli Hospital also began providing services in 2021 by beginning with dermatology, otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology; hopefully this system will enable remote areas to benefit from diagnosis and treatment resources at medical center level so that Health Care relevant resources. This will enable us to achieve local medical services whereby patients can stay put to save the residents from the hassle of traveling back and forth.
5. In order to effectively integrate human resources for specialist physicians and close the gap between urban and rural healthcare development, the Ministry has funded relevant Smart Healthcare Projects developed by Yunlin Branch of National Taiwan University Hospital and collaborated with Dou -Liou Branch of National Cheng Kung University Hospital to launch the "Regional Twin-Star Uni-protection Plan". This endeavor will involve combined shift schedule for specialist physicians from the Plastic Surgery department and Neurosurgery department of two hospitals, thereby facilitating the sharing of medical resource in the form of specialist physicians acting as part-time attending doctors offering remote support. Not only that the two participating hospitals would employ solutions such as VPN connection, teleconferencing or in-person diagnosis and so forth to provide clinical diagnosis or contingent medical consultation for emergencies or urgent situations. Since 2018 to May 2021, 299 patients have been treated; after suitable handling, the patients have been tracked by outpatient clinics, effectively increasing the accessibility of doctors for patents and reducing the number of days doctors are on duty.
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