Taiwan should learn from other countries to advance telehealth services in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said yesterday.
Chiu made the remark at a Taipei conference titled the “Current Challenges and Opportunities in Telehealth,” held by the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) Forum, Taipei Medical University and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
In his opening speech, Chiu discussed the concept of “social prescribing,” encouraging healthcare providers view patients through a professional medical lens and refer them to a range of person-centered non-clinical care services to support their health and well-being.
Photo: CNA
Since becoming the director of a public health center in 1988, Chiu said he began overseeing the operations of telehealth and hospice care.
His experience working with people in hospice care showed him the importance of person-centered care and that patients are connected to the community, he said.
Person-centered care services and telemedicine have played important roles during the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, and in the post-pandemic era, many countries are pushing to advance telehealth services, Chiu said.
While different countries have different opinions on quality, regulations, ethics and privacy regarding telehealth services, it has become a common challenge for many healthcare systems around the world, he said.
Taiwan should continue to learn from and communicate with other countries to advances its telehealth services, he said.
In the post-COVID-19 era, telemedicine still faces challenges, including healthcare quality monitoring, patient privacy safety, regulations and regulatory reviews, but after some experience, the scope of telemedicine was expanded in July, NHRI Forum vice chairman Wayne Sheu (許惠恒) said.
Taipei Medical University Board of Trustees chairman Chen Ray-jade (陳瑞杰) said telemedicine did not disappear after COVID-19 ended, but transformed into telehealth, and is shifting its focus from acute care to chronic care services.
The focus of telehealth is on individuals or families, so if there is a comprehensive telehealth system, people can still receive healthcare at home when a disaster or pandemic occurs, which is an embodiment of a “resilient health system,” Chen said.
However, telemedicine in the post-COVID-19 era faces four main challenges: regulations, payment systems, technology and personal information security, he said.
The conference was held for people from the private and government sectors, academics and healthcare providers to discuss solutions, he said.
Telehealth can also be extended beyond medical treatment, to health education, holistic healthcare and weight management, or even allow people to participate in clinical trials at home, he added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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