The NHIA held Virtual NHI Card education and holistic care activities in Xiulin Township, Hualien County on August 18. During the event, participants learned how to apply and bind their Virtual NHI Cards, and also saw demonstrations of how Virtual NHI Cards can be used in telemedicine and video consultations.
The Hualien-Taitung area is vast; its terrains make it inconvenient for people living in mountainous areas and outlying islands to seek medical treatment. The NHIA has worked with the local health bureaus of Hualien and Taitung counties to promote telemedicine. At present, there are 18 townships and 19 medical institutions in the Hualien-Taitung area that provide telemedicine services. Meanwhile, in order to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, 206 medical institutions also provide video consultations. Telemedicine and video consultations have gradually become a major emerging medical service model in remote areas. Matched with a Virtual NHI Card, telemedicine and video consultations can provide people with more complete medical care, and with zero contact.
During the pandemic, many people downloaded the NHI APP, and the NHIA then launched Virtual NHI Cards in support of telemedicine and video consultations. By showing the Virtual NHI Card QR code, the patient may make an appointment with the telemedicine medical institution, consult a doctor, have a checkup, and get a prescription filled. A total of 285,792 people nationwide as of the end of July 2022 have received their Virtual NHI Cards, and 609 medical institutions are providing Virtual NHI Card services. Currently, 48 medical institutions in the Hualien-Taitung area provide Virtual NHI Card services, though only 2,678 people in the area actually hold Virtual NHI Cards. Thus, the NHIA is providing Virtual NHI Card education activities in rural areas to help people in this area understand and use these convenient digital services.