Challenges and Benefits in Adopting Telemedicine in Japan 

Providing healthcare that transcends borders can prove helpful for individuals seeking professional medical advice located in hard-to-access areas. Not to mention, in cases where the patient cannot travel due to their illness, consultations using digital devices can be beneficial. This method, telemedicine or teleconsult, has been implemented in Europe and the United States already with significant advancements. But nowadays, countries in the Asian region are catching up to these developments. In this article, discover how telemedicine is being adopted in Japan and the challenges and benefits it poses.

Contrary to popular belief, telemedicine actually originated from the Greek words tele, meaning ‘distant’, and medikus, meaning ‘heal’. The succeeding invention of the telegraph, telephone, and other telecommunication devices was only later adopted to fit the premise of medical consultations using technology. As the years went on, various names for it arose: teleconsult, telehealth, e-visits, mhealth (for mobile), and e-health.

Telemedicine, in its most basic sense, allows patients to confer with their doctors over digital platforms without the need to visit a hospital. It can encompass first-time consultations, follow-ups, and access to medical records via online databases. This check-up can be done through audio calls, video calls, and even asynchronous correspondence that employs the exchange, update, and storage of medical scans, documents, and data. 

The first initiatives for telemedicine in Japan appeared in 1997 with a notice published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) entitled “Medical Examinations Applying ICT,” specifically under the section “Medical examination using telemedicine”. However, despite the early consideration of this practice, telemedicine on its own wasn’t too favored. It was mandated that teleconsults only be allowed if they are coupled with face-to-face consultations prior, making them a secondary monitoring medical service.

It was only with the advent of smartphones and smart devices that Japan considered revising the mandate. In 2015, the ban on telemedicine as a stand-alone procedure was lifted, and guidelines were released to conduct teleconsults properly. This was included in the country’s “The Japan Vision: Health Care 2035 Plan”, which supported telemedicine developments under nationwide changes for better healthcare.

And later in 2018, popularity for online consultations via smartphones grew with further deregulations in April and the announcement that reimbursement for such services was granted. This was reflected in a sensing survey among Japanese people in 2018, where 42% expressed their interest in trying the novel procedure.

Despite the popularity of this digital medical service, there are still challenges and risks to it. Concerns about the accuracy and the attitude of the ageing population towards digitalization of healthcare are some of the leading barriers. The challenges that hinder the full adoption of telemedicine among the Japanese are as follows:

• The Japan Medical Association (JMA) fears that teleconsults will not provide an accurate diagnosis for patients;
• A lot of the telemedicine applications require credit card payments to push through with the service;
• Telemedicine services are still not accessible in some remote areas of the country;
• The ageing population of Japan is less likely to use modern technology;
• Similarly, healthcare professionals in Japan, especially doctors, are also of old age and are not as keen on embracing digitalization;
• And lastly, the underutilization of IT solutions to digitize medical records is proving to be a barrier to getting a full patient history for teleconsults.

But despite these hindrances and issues, the Japanese Government, medical professionals, and the general public alike recognize the benefits of using telemedicine. The government in particular is taking such concerns into consideration and has been promoting the use of telemedicine across the country.

Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan saw the need for other modalities in which medical services can be delivered to stakeholders. During that time, 10,000 health clinics offered online consultations for new patients to curb the transmission of diseases.

As such, here are the recognized benefits of adopting telemedicine in the healthcare sector:

• It ensures accessibility for all: patients who have limited mobility can still avail medical consultations and services;
• Telemedicine provides convenience for people since it cuts the travel time and efforts needed to visit a hospital or clinic;
• Timely medical advice is also possible because of the hassle-free access to applications on smart devices;
• Health monitoring and follow-ups are also achievable because patients and practitioners can connect seamlessly either via video, audio, or in-app features;
• Costs for medical care can also be lessened since teleconsults regulate the number of visits and stays at hospitals, thereby curbing bed allocation and operational costs;
• It also limits spending on the patient’s end in terms of travel costs and other miscellaneous expenses related to seeking professional healthcare;
• And lastly, it eases the volume of people in hospitals, which lessens the burden on medical professionals.

Telemedicine is undoubtedly a viable avenue for securing the future of Japanese healthcare. Although there are hindrances identified that make it difficult for telemedicine to be an established practice, it is important to remember that on the other side of challenges are always opportunities.

This is a defining moment for Japan, as they face the decision of where they want their medical sector to go in the future. A chance to pioneer is possible in adopting telemedicine, especially with the purpose of delivering better healthcare for the people. Needless to say, the future for Japanese healthcare and telemedicine is an exciting avenue to look forward to, with innovations surely to come.