As Taiwan moves toward becoming a super-aged society, where older adults aged 65 and over will account for 20% of the population, the demand for elder care is increasing. In response, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) launched the Acute Hospital Care-at-Home Trial Program on July 1, 2024, in Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Penghu. A total of 32 medical teams, composed of professionals from 96 different medical facilities, are participating in the program. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists have come together to form care task forces that provide patients with pneumonia, urinary tract infections, or soft tissue infections—who require only antibiotic treatments—with the choice to receive care at home or in a care institution. This approach saves patients the hassle of hospital visits and alleviates the burden on caregivers.

To recruit more participants and ensure quality care, the NHIA held an Acute Hospital Care-at-Home Implementation Experience Sharing event on October 9. Personnel from medical and long-term care facilities who participated in the program were invited to share their experiences. Three teams from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, and St. Joseph Hospital discussed their approaches to caring for patients at home, in care facilities, and in emergency rooms. The Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital team is supported by the hospital, a clinic, a home care center, and a pharmacy. If a patient's condition changes and they are no longer suitable for home care, a green channel is available for prompt transfer to the hospital for further treatment. Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital employs a combined team interdisciplinary care model and conducts check-in phone calls three times a day. Telemedicine technology is used to remotely monitor patients' physiological data, with alerts sent by the system when abnormalities are detected, enabling the medical team to stay on top of patients' conditions. Miranda Home Healthcare Nurse showcased a smart mattress that automatically monitors patients' breathing, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation. They demonstrated the operation of bedside examination equipment and shared their experiences as home care nurses. St. Joseph Hospital discussed their approach to providing effective acute hospital care at home for bedridden patients, reducing the need for hospital admissions or emergency room visits, which in turn minimizes the risk of infections within the facility.

The NHIA is proactively implementing acute hospital care-at-home services, allowing patients to receive hospital-level medical treatments in the comfort of their homes. This approach not only saves patients the hassle of traveling to hospitals but also reduces medical expenses, as they only need to pay a 5% co-payment and a transportation fee. For patients with catastrophic illnesses, veterans, those receiving social welfare-subsidized NHI, and patients living in mountainous or offshore island areas, the co-payment can be waived.