Digital Health Care in Taiwan: Innovations of National Health Insurance

Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system employs digital technology to enhance healthcare access and quality, including medical information exchange, data collection for planning and research, claims review procedures, and COVID-19 response. The book explores the history, characteristics, current status, innovations, and future reform plans of the NHI in the digital era, covering topics such as income strategy, payment structure, health equity, infrastructure, medical information applications, big data and artificial intelligence, and digital health care. It is a valuable resource for academic researchers, students, policymakers, and public officials in healthcare administration, health policy, health systems research, and health services delivery.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 14 August 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This open-access book delves into the National Health Insurance (NHI) system of Taiwan, highlighting its innovative application of digital technology to enhance healthcare access and quality. The authors elucidate how Taiwan seamlessly integrates its robust Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry with 5G to establish an information system that facilitates medical information exchange, collects data for planning and research, streamlines medical claims review procedures, and even assists in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launched in 1995, Taiwan's NHI is a single-payer system funded primarily through payroll-based premiums. It offers comprehensive benefits to all citizens and foreign residents, without the long waiting times associated with other single-payer systems. While premium rate adjustments and various reforms were implemented in 2010, the NHI currently faces challenges regarding its financial stability. As technologies continue to advance and the population ages, the NHI must expand coverage to include newly developed treatments and diagnosis methods, while also leveraging the latest innovations to deliver telemedicine and more patient-centered services.

Similar to national health systems in other countries, the NHI must also address privacy concerns related to the personal health data it collects and the complexities associated with opening this data for research or commercial use.

Spanning 12 chapters, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the NHI's history, characteristics, current status, innovations, and future reform plans in the digital era. Key topics explored include income strategy, payment structure, pursuing health equity, infrastructure of the medical information system, innovative applications of medical information, applications of big data and artificial intelligence, and digital health.

By examining these aspects, the book offers valuable insights into Taiwan's healthcare system and its efforts to leverage digital technology to improve healthcare outcomes and ensure universal access to quality healthcare services.

Weight: 456g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031051623
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022