行政院衛生署為因應國內日漸沉重的照護需求,推動「在地老化」的長期健康照護政策,並促進國內照護體系與產業的發展,於民國96年推動「遠距照護(Telecare)試辦計畫」。藉由政府與民間機構的合作,結合醫療照護與資訊技術,為民眾提供科技化照護服務。本計畫規劃建置了社區式、居家式與機構式遠距照護服務模式,以及遠距照護資訊平台。三類照護模式在服務設計上反映目前民眾與服務提供者的需求;在系統建置上,各照護模式不但能夠獨立運作,亦可透過資訊平台進行資訊介接與整合,進而建構起整合性、連續性和多樣化的科技化照護服務。
In order to respond to the growth of the elderly population, to achieve the goal of ”aging in place,” and to promote the vital development of the healthcare industry, the Department of Health, under Taiwan's Executive Yuan, commissioned a Telecare project in 2007 to manage long-term care needs by utilizing information technologies to support healthcare. With the collaboration of medical institutions, information and communications technology laboratories, and home security providers, and in order to establish comprehensive health service provision, the project team has planned and established not only community-based care services, home-based care services, and institution-based care services, but also a Telecare information integration platform to support care management, exchange of information, and information security. The Telecare project pilot study is expected to prove the efficacy of this innovative service model and bring long-term care services in Taiwan into a new era.