The Benefits of Electronic Medical Records for Japan’s Healthcare

In this highly digital age, sectors like health and medicine will benefit from keeping up with technological developments. It can transform usual processes in the field that were once difficult and a hassle to be easier and more convenient for daily undertakings. One example of this is the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). With the provision of electronic devices, find out how the use of EMRs in delivering healthcare in Japan is being adopted and the benefits they guarantee for the sector.

Electronic Medical Records or EMRs are digitalized versions of hospital records normally taken through traditional paper and pen. They contain the same information as the paper charts that the hospital uses, with information ranging from clinical notes to diagnoses, prescriptions, and the patient’s full medical history. EMRs can also include lab results, scans and images, and even treatment plans previously or currently being carried out. 

The history of EMRs started in the 1960s as an internal record-keeping system developed by Lockheed Corporation. And by the 1970s, a similar system was implemented in government hospitals across the United States by Regenstreif Institute. But it was only in the 1990s that EMRs became popular and were widely used. 

Fast forward to last year, the market for this digital system in the healthcare sector was projected to amount to US$ 17.6 billion. It showed the growing demands for its use and benefits. As such, more and more countries are paying attention to this development, and Japan is no exception, especially with its inclination to technological innovation.

As of 2019, 63.1% of hospitals in Japan have implemented the use of EMRs and 10.2% are still carefully reviewing whether they will use the system. And in 2021, the Japan Hospital Association (JHA) both enabled and empowered healthcare service providers with the “Nichiboshi Mobile" x "MegaOak Assist Easy Nurse". This effort allows access to EMRs through mobile phones inside and even outside of the hospital where the nurse or physician is working.

Previously, EMRs could only be utilized inside institutions, and outside access was blocked, therefore posing a challenge to healthcare providers who do out-of-hospital services. But with this innovation, home medical care and other similar circumstances are now easier to conduct with remote access to the patient’s records.

This initiative to make EMRs available via mobile phones is a collaboration among the Japan Hospital Association, Japan Hospital Cooperative, Inc., and Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. (NEC). The plan is to grant exclusive access to healthcare providers through the “Nichiboshi Mobile,” a handheld device uniquely made for this initiative. The gadget can be operated inside and outside the hospital and can be used for general field-related calls and nurse calls. 

Nichiboshi Mobile is just one-third of the system. Another facet that allows EMR access is a nursing information system called “MegaOak Assist Easy Nurse,” which is built into the mobile. Coupled with the last component—NTT DoCoMo's "Business mopera Access Premium," which ensures data and communications are secured via a closed network—the trifecta that enables remote access to EMRs is complete. 

Implementing EMR systems for hospital use has a plethora of benefits. These advantages are recognized by multiple institutions across the globe, and Japan is not one to miss on them. Hence, the implementation of EMRs in this proud East Asian country is a no-brainer, and now it is even furthered by mobile phones.

Here are the benefits of using Electronic Medical Records:

• It reduces the hassle of traditional record-keeping, avoiding issues with space, logistics, and messy drawers;
• EMRs avoid errors that are common in written paper charts;
• It eases day-to-day operations by reducing the time consumed writing and updating charts and clinical notes;
• The use of EMRs encourages and empowers home medical care with efficient tools that can access patient files remotely;
• It allows e-prescribing for medications and seamlessly provides key insights into treatment plans;
• Under certain provisions and agreements, it can also ease the transition from one healthcare provider to another since medical records are already available;
• And EMRs are Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant, ensuring that all data and files are protected, as well as the patient.

Electronic Medical Records are proving useful in providing healthcare to the public. In Japan, with the use of mobile phones and outside access now unblocked, challenges to delivering home care services are ceasing to exist. This is a definite win for medical practitioners since it does not only make the process efficient and flexible, but it also avoids errors in record-keeping and mismatches in treatment plans. The future for EMRs is undoubtedly looking up, not just because of the investments funneled into this segment but also because of the people’s rising trust and confidence in hassle-free healthcare empowered by this system.