1. Introduction
Similar to some other countries, Taiwan is facing a serious impact of an aging society. In 2013, the elderly population, specifically those aged 65 and over, accounted for 11.53% of the overall population in Taiwan, which was estimated to reach 20% in 2020. The population is gradually undergoing negative growth, bringing significant changes to the social structure [1]. Previous studies showed that as they age, most of the elderly choose to stay at home, thus making provision of appropriate care for the elderly at home an important aspect of policy plan- ning [2–4]. Since it was launched in 1995, the National Health Insurance in Taiwan has managed to provide coverage to 99.6% of the citizens. However, although the healthcare system is supported by a majority of the people, the medical revenue still cannot balance the high medical expenses, which continue to grow rapidly [5]. With the development of the information industry, communication technology has been more and more widely applied in medical care and preventive healthcare related services. Telecare is a combination of healthcare, elec- tronic medical equipment, and communication technology that allows people to receive preventive care and healthcare services in the community and home environments. Many studies have pointed out that telecare can reduce healthcare costs and the number of emergency hospitalizations, as well as improve the quality of life and satisfaction levels of the patients [6–9]. Evidence for enhancing integrated care, clini- cal outcomes, chronic human disease self-management, and medical care quality has resulted [10–12]. Unlike traditional care services, telecare has more value in business benefits and promotes cross-industry alliance and integration [13]. In recent years, telecare has become one of the key strategies to address healthcare needs. Many executives of healthcare institutes are developing ideas about how to use information and communications technology to create competitive advan- tages [14,15]. It is Taiwanese government policy to respond to these challenges.