2026/09/13 11:42
National Taiwan University Hospital released the "Grade Medical Treatment Guidelines", which provide recommended levels of medical treatment for 1,067 common symptoms to help the public choose appropriate medical channels. (Photo by reporter Hou Jiayu)
[Reporter Hou Jiayu/Taipei Report] Where should I go to get medical treatment when I am sick? When many people feel unwell, they rush to large hospitals as soon as possible. As a result, medical centers are overwhelmed with mild cases, and patients who really need emergency care may be affected. National Taiwan University Hospital held the "Xingyue Project 8th Anniversary Annual Meeting" today and officially released the "Graded Medical Treatment Guidelines", which provide recommended medical treatment levels for 1,067 common symptoms, from self-care, community clinics, hospital outpatient clinics to emergency departments, to help the public choose appropriate medical channels according to symptoms; in addition, the "Public Medical Consultation Hotline" (02) 2356-2891 will be online on October 1, with professional medical personnel providing pre-medical consultation.
Zhan Qifeng, deputy director of the Graded Care and Transitional Care Management Center of National Taiwan University Hospital, said that this set of guidelines refers to the symptom triage experience of the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and other countries, and also incorporates Taiwan's emergency diagnosis and injury classification concepts. According to different organ systems and common symptoms, a number of medical recommendations are compiled for chest pain, abdominal pain, head and neck, skin, limbs, etc. However, 1067 items do not cover all diseases and will continue to be updated in the future based on actual usage and clinical changes.
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This set of guidelines went through two rounds of online group review by 256 physicians and experts, and then a physical consensus meeting with 80 physicians, and finally compiled recommended medical treatment levels for 1,067 common symptoms. Among them, 13.8% can take self-care and observation first, 31.9% recommend giving priority to community primary clinics, 7.9% recommend going to hospital outpatient clinics, and 46.5% recommend going directly to the emergency department. In other words, nearly half of common symptoms can be treated first with self-care or primary care, instead of going straight to the medical center whenever you feel uncomfortable.
Zhan Qifeng reminded the public that when judging the level of medical treatment, the most important thing is to first identify the "red flag warning signs". If there are critical conditions such as suspected stroke precursors, acute neurological symptoms, severe gastrointestinal bleeding, unstable vital signs, etc., it is not suitable to stay at home for observation, and you should not go to a general clinic first. You should go to the emergency department immediately, and call 119 directly if necessary.
In order to make it easier for the public to use this set of guidelines, National Taiwan University Hospital will also launch a "Public Medical Consultation Hotline" (02) 2356-2891 (Ai Bang Medical) on October 1, with daily service hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If people develop symptoms but are not sure which department to see, where to go, or whether they need immediate medical attention, consulting nurses and medical staff can assess the urgency according to the guidelines and provide suggestions for self-care, clinics, hospital outpatient services, or emergency services. If critical warning signs are detected, they will also be assisted in taking appropriate emergency medical measures.
National Taiwan University Hospital also proposed the "Five Steps to Smart Medical Care," which include establishing a regular and trusted family physician, consulting first when feeling unwell, prioritizing treatment at the grassroots level for common minor illnesses, seeking immediate medical attention when encountering red flags, and following physician referral recommendations. Liu Yueping, Director of Medical Affairs of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that in the past, hierarchical medical treatment focused on urging people to "visit clinics for minor illnesses and go to hospitals for serious illnesses." This time, more specific symptom guidelines are used to further enhance the public's health awareness and give everyone one more basis for judgment before seeking medical treatment.
Liu Yueping also said that this model is worth continuing to promote. In the future, if technology can be further combined, and even AI can be introduced to assist people in initial medical guidance, there will be opportunities to make hierarchical medical care closer to people's daily needs.
