Some Positive Rapid Tests to Count as Confirmed Cases 3類對象快篩陽醫認定即確診 新制上路

A new policy went into effect where those with a positive rapid test result will count as confirmed cases. The home test kit results, however, have to be validated by doctors via virtual appointments, which has created extra workload for hospital staff.

Doctor: “Mister, can you provide your rapid test result to us for reference?”

Patient: “This one?”

A patient shows a doctor a positive rapid test result via videoconference. The name of the patient and the date the test was taken are written on the test itself. The doctor then determines whether this patient counts as a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Hsu Jung-yuan, Deputy Superintendent, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital: “The most important thing is to confirm the status of the patient. Someone in this patient's household must have already been infected, and the patient is undergoing home isolation.”

A new policy went into effect on May 12 where certain individuals with a positive rapid test result will count as confirmed cases. They are people who are quarantining at home, isolating at home, or undergoing self-health management. Central Epidemic Command Center statistics show as of May 9, there are 70,000 people isolating, 17,000 people quarantining, and 232,000 people conducting self-health management. Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital says it is currently looking after 18,000 patients with mild symptoms staying at home. If it has to hold a videoconference with each one of them to confirm a rapid test result, it won't be able to handle it.

Hsu Jung-yuan, Deputy Superintendent, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital: “This workload is enormously heavy. Think about it, we are taking care of 18,000 confirmed cases staying at home, what if we have to look after their family members as well?”

Grassroots clinics are also feeling overwhelmed. They say the government has failed to complete preparing related systems and the launch will be delayed. Once they take on the work of confirming tests via virtual appointments, this will take up 20 to 30 percent of their time and they won't be able to charge registration and prescription fees.

Chen Yu-cheng, Otolaryngologist: “We normally ask family members to pay when they bring in NHI cards to be read. There may be a chance that we won't be able to collect fees. This happens two to three times out of 10.”

Doctors also expressed concerns that multiple people might try to pass off the same positive rapid test result as their own, and this will be difficult to verify via videoconference. There are 50,000 new cases a day at present, which means at least 350,000 new cases a week. The number of people with positive rapid test results needing verification through virtual appointments is expected to increase, and there are fears about the resulting chaos.

醫師對視訊診療民眾說：「先生，你可以把你那個快篩的結果，可以提供給我們嗎參考一下？」

透過視訊，民眾拿出快篩陽性檢測卡匣，上頭寫上姓名及檢測日期，給醫師做判斷是否為新冠肺炎確診個案。

台北慈濟醫院副院長徐榮源指出：「最重要的就是要確認身分，就是他家裡一定要有人已經被感染，他是屬於居家隔離。」

快篩陽性視同確診，新制12日上路，但僅限居家檢疫、居家隔離及自主防疫等三類對象。根據指揮中心統計，到5月9日為止，正在居隔者有7萬多人、居檢者有1萬7千多人、自主防疫則有23萬2千多人。台北慈濟醫院坦言，目前院方負責輕症居家照護就有1.8萬人，如果每個人都視訊診療，擔心業務量太大、會負荷不了。

徐榮源提到：「這業務量真的是非常龐大，你想想看喔，我們在居家確診的病人，我們手邊就有1萬8千人，那1萬8千人他們的家屬，我們都會 有需求的，我們都會給他整理一個名單。」

不只大醫院擔心視訊療塞車，基層診所也表示，目前系統建置還沒準備好，無法如期上路，一旦執行視訊診療業務，不僅會占掉原本門診業務的兩到三成，也擔心收不到掛號費、藥費等。

順誠耳鼻喉科醫師陳佑誠提到：「我們通常就是請家屬拿健保卡過卡時付錢，也有可能收不到錢啊，大概十個就有兩、三個吧。」

此外，醫師也擔憂，新制恐怕也有「一個快篩陽性檢測卡多人用」的風險，視訊很難落實查核，如果以現在每天確診5萬多例，一週就會暴增35萬名確診者，再加上快篩陽性者，未來視訊診療量大增，預期可能釀成「視訊之亂」。