Taipei Smart Medical Package

Abstract

The aim of Taipei Smart Medical Package is to develop a mobile, low cost and stable telehealth model. The Taipei Smart Medical Package boasted several advantages. First, it supported Linux on SoC (System on a Chip) platform from Intel running on X86 architecture, which ensured stability and saved investment on hardware and software R & D. AA battery combining industrial fanless design reduced maintenance cost. Second, the mobile terminal equipment allowed convenient installation and budget transportation. Third, cloud hosting was an economic, maintenance-saving and effective solution. The program adopted innovative case management by attaching health risk assessment report to out-of-pocket health checkup clients, as a way to enlarge client base and extend service period. In order to understand people's opinions on the Taipei Smart Medical Package, this study carried out an acceptability questionnaire survey. Those willing to pay for Taipei Smart Medical Package accounted for 20.6 % of the health center clients at the hospital, 27.9 % of the local clinic patients and 51.5% of the electronics shoppers (p<;0.001). Among those willing to pay 84.6% had private insurance; 77.9% had regular health examination (p<;0.001). More than half (55.8%) of the middle class (monthly income at USD967~2,900) were willing to pay for the package. It clearly indicated that a demand existed not only in the higher income population. Our research discovered the advantage of combining insurance and health screening. Collaboration among healthcare facilities, health examination centers and insurance companies is expected to consolidate the market while integration of health screening, ICT and consumer products generates multiple sources of income.