Telemedicine in JapanーCurrent Transitions and Visions

This section was made possible by the generous support of Healthcare Innovation with TeleCommunication (HITEC). JHPN works to showcase health policy in action. If you have a topic or an example of health policy you would like to have shared on JHPN, please contact us at anytime.

Telemedicine in Japan – A Historical Perspective

Takashi Hasegawa

Takashi Hasegawa graduated from Keio University with a Master’s in computer science. Following his time at Keio, he joined an enterprise working on software development, remote radiography, and research into early telemedicine systems. Since then, he has also worked at Tohoku University, International University of Health and Welfare, Gunma University Hospital, and the Japan Telemedicine Society (JTS). He has also facilitated telemedicine training for health professionals organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW). He currently serves as a Board Member of the Japanese Telemedicine and Telecare Association (JTTA).


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The Utilization of Digital Technologies—Beginning from Our Daily Lives

Hiroyuki Tsutsumi

Hiroyuki Tsutsumi has been in the IT industry for more than 30 years with management
experience at global companies in Japan, Europe, US and Asia. He also has led operations in
B2B, B2C and B2B2C, while devoting his energy to creating IoT (Internet of Thing) platforms
and new business models.
・President and CEO of Philips Japan, and President of Philips Respironics, in March 2017.
・CEO, Samsung Electronics Japan, in December 2015.
・Vice President, Cisco Systems Inc, in September 2009.
・Joined NEC Corporation in 1985.
Education
・Stanford Executive Program (SEP)at Stanford University in the United States.
・Bachelor of Science for Mechanical Engineering at Keio University in Japan


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Challenges and Next Steps for Online Consultation

Shinsuke Muto

President, Tetsuyu Institute Medical Corporation

Chairman, Integrity Healthcare Co., Ltd.

Co-Founder & Medical Director, Tetsuyu Healthcare Holdings

Adviser on IT policy, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan

With two decades of experience in the field of medicine, Dr. Shinsuke Muto is a certified internal medicine specialist and cardiologist who passed the US medical licensing examination (California) and holds both US CPA (Delaware) , EMBA (INSEAD) , MPH (Johns Hopkins).

After graduating from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo in 1996, he received his doctorate later in 2002. With experience in cardiovascular internal medicine and emergency medicine, he also served as a court physician to the Imperial Household Agency before joining McKinsey & Company. In 2010, he launched Tetsuyu Institute Medical Corporation in Japan.

In 2015, he established Tetsuyu Healthcare Holdings with his INSEAD colleague in Singapore, and became a chairman of Integrity Healthcare in 2016.


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Latest Initiatives in Telemedicine and Online Medical Consultations

Tetsuro Okuno 

April 2009 – Joined Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
July 2013 – Seconded to the Budget Bureau of the Ministry of Finance
September 2015 – Pension Service Planning Division at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
June 2016 – Took charge of online consultations at the Medical Professions Division of the Health Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
July 2018 –Director Assistant, Regional Medical Care Planning Division (in addition to a concurrent role at the Medical Professions Division) ; Health Policy Bureau;  Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare


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Challenges and Expectations for Online Medical Consultation Considering Via Current Concerns in Healthcare


Akira Maemura

Graduate of Hitotsubashi University, School of Social Studies. After entering Nikkei, Inc. in April 1995, he managed the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Press Club and the city medical news team. From October 2004, he enrolled in the first-ever University of Tokyo Healthcare and Social Policy Leadership Program. In April 2016, he became the Assistant Head of the Tokyo local news team, and in December of that same year published first installment of the front-page special “The Safety Net Built on Sand.” He co-authored several articles including “Healthcare Revival – Documenting Current Risks” (2002), the Competent Hospital Series including “Cancer Treatments,” “Heart Disease Treatments,” and “Encephalopathy Treatments” published from 2005 to 2007, as well as “Introduction to Medical Policy” (2009). Journalist(Deputy Editor), City News, Department Editorial Bureau, NIKKEI INC.


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Challenges in transcending disciplinary boundaries to spread online medical consultation


Kazunari Tanaka

 

Kazunari Tanaka joined the Ministry of International Affairs and Communications in 2007. After serving in the Administration Improvement Division within the Local Administration Bureau and the Kochi Prefectural Office for Promotion of Community Development Division in the Policy Planning Department, he worked in the Information and Communications Bureau Broadcasting Policy Division. He then continued to build experience working in operations and system reform management at the Management Office in the Administrative Management Bureau and in the Information Policy Division in the Global Strategy Bureau. He also served as the Strategy Planning Bureau Information Policy Division Director for the Wakayama Prefectural Planning Department .

He served as Deputy Director of the Information and Communication Bureau Information Applications Promotion Office from July 2016 to September 2018. As of July 24, 2018, the date of this interview, he serves in the Personnel Division of Minister’s Secretariat at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.


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Healthcare ICT initiatives for industrial and health promotion, and its future visions


Sho Irie

Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group, Healthcare Industries Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry


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Interview survey on Medical ICT policies (telemedicine policies) conducted jointly by Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) and Healthcare Innovation with Telecommunication (HITEC)

By listening to various stakeholders involved in telemedicine as well as the use of ICT in healthcare, we aim to identify barriers to introducing telemedicine into the current healthcare system, the scientific bases for efficacy/safety generated by clinical research, influences on the society and the economy, and new visions of the future that could be made possible via telemedicine and medical ICT.

Overview of Healthcare Innovation with Telecommunication (HITEC)

Name

 

Professional Affiliation/ Job title

 

Educational Attainment/ Field of Specialization

 

Daisuke Sato

 

 

 

National Institute of Public Health, Research Center for Economic Evaluation of Healthcare/
Senior Researcher
PhD (Medicine), Master of Medical Administration (MMA)/

Promotion of research projects by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare—Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)—Project on ICT Infrastructure Establishment for Clinical and Medical Research (Co-researcher)

 

Takafumi Ochiai

 

Atsumi & Sakai, Foreign Law Joint Enterprise/
Lawyer
Juris Doctor/

Law relating to the use of ICT in medicine and IT in financial services

 

Ryoji Noritake

 

 

Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)/

President

 

Healthcare Policy

MSc (Medical Anthropology), University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

 

Ryo Watanabe

 

 

 

Healthcare New Frontier Promotion Headquarters, Office for Medical Innovation School Establishment Group, Kanagawa Prefectural Government, Policy Bureau/

Project Leader

 

PhD (Commerce), Master of Public Health (MPH)/

Health economic evaluation, primary care, management accounting

 

 

Keiichi Tamura

 

 

TTS Law & Accounting Firm/
Certified Public Accountant
Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHM)/

Medical facilities management

 

Ai Sonoda

 

 

Integrity Healthcare/
Managing Director
Master of Medical Administration (MMA), Master of Business Administration (MBA)/

Regional community modeling

 

Mamoru Ichikawa

 

 

Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Scientific & Environmental Programs Division, Production Center One/

Chief Director

Kyoto University/ Part-time Lecturer

Doctoral Program (Health and Welfare Journalism)/

Medical journalism

 

Manami Takamatsu Manager, Health and Global Policy Institute

National Federation of Health Insurance Societies (KENPOREN)

Healthcare Policy

Master of Health Administration

 


Last Modified: May 2019