Understanding the Value of Hierarchical Medical Care through Telemedicine Practices During the Pandemic

Abstract

<p>Covid-19 Pandemic 三年多來，台灣至今有超過1000 萬人確診，及1 萬多人不幸逝世！隨著病毒的突變，和防疫政策的調整，民眾、醫界乃至台灣社會都接受著不同的考驗和試煉。尤其是2022 年的Omicrone ，在半年多有超過1000 萬民眾的大規模感染。然而台灣的社會並沒有人心浮動，遑論社會動亂；經濟發展如常，GDP依舊上升。這除了台灣人民優異的健康素質，堅靭的醫界體系功不可沒！大醫院在原本急、重、難、罕的醫療照顧之外，更負責COVID重症病患的收治；基層醫療也不遑多讓，除了持續提供一般疾病、慢性病照護、疫苗接種之外，更承擔輕症確診者的遠距判讀、遠距診療及遠距居家照顧；醫院、診所分工合作，充分展現了分級醫療的價值，共同守護了台灣人民的健康，也成為全球的典範。</p> <p> </p><p>Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic 3 years ago, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan has exceeded 10 million and over 10,000 people have died from the disease. Following the mutations of the virus and the adjustments made to pandemic prevention policies, Taiwan citizens, the medical field, and Taiwan’s society have overcome and continue to face different challenges. During the prevalence of the Omicron variant in 2022, over 10 million citizens were infected within 6 months. Taiwanese people have shown unwavering resilience in the face of pandemic, let alone the possibility of social unrest. Instead, economic development continued as normal and Taiwan’s GDP continued to grow. In addition to Taiwan citizen’s excellent health literacy, the contributions of Taiwan’s firm and robust medical care system plays a crucial role in controlling the pandemic. Large-scale hospitals not only provide health care services for patients with acute, severe, difficult-to-treat, and rare diseases, but also shoulder the responsibility to receive and treat patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms. Similarly, the primary level of the medical care system not only continue to provide services, including offering care for common and chronic diseases and vaccination, but also contributing to the telemedicine diagnosis, treatment, and home-based care for patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19. The division of labor between hospitals and clinics comprehensively demonstrates the value of hierarchical medical care, which jointly safeguards the health of Taiwanese people and serves as a global paradigm.</p> <p> </p>