Taipei Times
Date: Jan 24, 2018
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
Dozens of doctors yesterday attended a public hearing at the legislature in Taipei to
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Tai-yuan, center, takes part in a hearing in Taipei yesterday to discuss amendments to the Physicians’ Act. Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
discuss a proposed amendment to Article 11 of the Physicians’ Act (醫師法) to allow more flexibility for “substantial diagnosis” and have it not limited to face-to-face diagnosis.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Jan. 11 announced draft regulations of treatment of telemedicine. The regulations are an extension to the limitation of the conditions whereby physicians are allowed to practice medicine via telecommunication.
The article states that “a physician may not treat, issue a prescription or certify a diagnosis to patients that are not diagnosed by the physician himself or herself,” but physicians appointed by the competent authority can use telecommunications to treat patients in mountainous or remote areas, on outlying islands, or in special or urgent circumstances.
If the draft regulations are passed, five additional categories of patients would be allowed to receive medical diagnosis via telecommunications. [FULL STORY]
