The Future of Healthcare in Japan: What is the 'Japanese Version of EHDS' Aiming to Solve Through Data Utilization?
Japan is currently facing a super-aging society and is confronted with the major challenge of a rapid increase in medical expenses. Furthermore, the decline in the working-age population has led to a serious shortage of medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses. To resolve these structural issues, the government and experts are focusing on the utilization of medical data.
In response, a mechanism known as the "Japanese version of EHDS (European Health Data Space)" is being considered. This is a framework designed to digitize patient medical information from hospitals and clinics across the country to share and utilize it securely. By collecting individual medical histories and test results as data, the goal is to provide more efficient and higher-quality medical care.
If this system is realized, patients will be able to manage their own health data and share it with doctors as needed. Additionally, the collected data will be anonymized and used for research and development. This is expected to lead to the development of new drugs and the discovery of optimal treatments tailored to each individual patient.
On the other hand, high levels of security are required for handling medical information. How to effectively utilize data while protecting individual privacy will be a key point of discussion moving forward. To address the medical challenges facing Japan, careful preparations are underway from both technological and institutional perspectives.