4. Discussion and recommendations
This research has discovered that the policy and regulations were perceived by most respondents as the most fundamental factors that hinder the development of telecare in Taiwan. The difficulty of interpretation and application of the law and policy affect not only a lack of willingness of medical personnel to participate in telecare due to a fear of disputes, but also a reluctance of telecommunication developers to develop proper equipment due to the limited profitability of the business. These factors are the important reasons for impacting the current inactive market. However, the long-distance communication technology applications in the medical field are more uncertain than general medical services. Participating telemedicine physicians are likely to face higher legal risks. It is necessary to establish a complete set of legislative plans, to find solutions for some of the problems caused by telecare, so that it can be more conducive to development. Implementation of policies that offers a supporting environment for the operation of telecare will be the more effective incentive that the government can provide. Previous studies have indicated that the payment of insurance has a positive impact on the distribution of telecare [25]. Therefore, if insurance covers the expenses of telecare services, the development of telecare will be greatly enhanced. From the perspective of hospitals, except for the subsidization of the telecare program cost and the payment from the patient following treatment, the cost of telecare often exceeds the income, thus the hospitals suffer from insufficient revenue. Consequently, there are not enough incentives for hospitals to carry out telecare programs. The government should consider including telecare into the health insurance coverage, and only charge extra fees from the patients for out-of-range services. This will encourage the private insurance companies, and help the hospital maintain a financial balance, ultimately contributing to a functioning and lasting system.