應用電子照護改善偏遠地區健康服務之研究－－以台灣東部某山地部落為例

A Study on Applying Remote Electronic Healthcare in Rural Areas --A Case Study of a Mountain Aboriginal Village in Eastern Taiwan

改善偏鄉醫療照護，一直都是政府施政的重要目標。台灣為多山地區，醫療資源分布不平均，大型醫院全都集中在幾個主要的市區，偏鄉地區的民眾就醫非常不便。近年來，已經開始發展遠距電子照護服務，但大部分仍然只在大型醫院附近試辦。由於偏遠地區普遍存在著數位落差的問題，實務應用上也較為困難，但是如果能夠發展成功，相信其效益也將遠大於都市地區。本研究準備為台灣東部山區某原住民部落，建置一套電子照護系統，目前已在當地安裝電腦及簡易生醫訊號量測儀器設備，透過網路連接健康管理系統伺服器，並且為當地居民及學童進行衛教訓練，本篇論文探討偏遠地區實施電子照護遭遇到的困難，並分享實作的經驗。

To improve people's healthcare quality is an important objective of a government. However, large hospitals are often located in urban areas, and the distribution of medical resources is unequality. Most of the mountain areas in Taiwan are difficult to travel. It is usually inconvenient for people in rural areas to visit a hospital. There have been many projects in developing remote electronic healthcare in recent years, but most of them are only implemented in urban areas. Because of the digital divide issues in rural areas, it is difficult to apply electronic healthcare in practice. We believe that electronic healthcare benefits more to a rural area than to an urban area. In this study, we have developed a remote healthcare management system for an aboriginal village in the mountain area of eastern Taiwan. A vital-sign device for measuring the blood pressure and glucose level is integrated to a computer system. The system may connect to a healthcare management server through the Internet. We have also offered courses of health education for local residents and students. In this paper, we will discuss and share our experience in implementation such an electronic healthcare system.