Remote monitoring of health status of the elderly at home in Taiwan.

This case involves a B2B2C model (service provider to community to the elderly) of innovative tele-care services. The service provider under study is Chu-Shan Show-Chwan Hospital, a district hospital in Nantou County, Taiwan. The community comprises social welfare institutions such as temples, community care centers, and nursing homes. Finally, the elderly individuals who are the ultimate targets of the service are either community residents or residents of nursing homes. The community, as a service promoter, contributes to the increased acceptance of the newly introduced tele-care service compared with the traditional B2C model. Numerous communities under study and some social welfare organizations are extremely interested in providing healthcare services to the elderly and will support future operations provided satisfactory results are achieved. This project can help district hospitals extend their primary care function to communities, build trust, and improve relationships between physicians and patients.