The foundation of Japan’s health insurance system was established in 1961 and today, it remains one of the only health systems in the world that guarantees citizens access to high-quality healthcare at an affordable cost. However, simultaneous challenges in the form of a falling birthrate, an aging population, and population decline have resulted in factors that may make it difficult for Japan to maintain its health system, such as a shrinking number of working-age adults and an uneven geographical distribution of physicians. While measures that aim to reform work styles for physicians are set to begin in earnest in April 2024, there are growing expectations being placed on Japan’s health system that must be met in order for it to continue protecting the health of the public.

To ensure effective and efficient healthcare access while maintaining care quality, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is leading initiatives that aim to restructure care provision methods and systems in a manner that is tailored to the aforementioned ongoing changes in society. These include measures that are of great interest to society and that directly relate to citizens’ daily lives, such as the promotion of online medical consultations and telemedicine, or the establishment of family doctor services to elevate the quality of healthcare provided to each person.

In accordance with its mission of “achieving citizen-centered health policy,” Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) considers one of its key roles to be the dissemination of information on urgent policy issues such as these. For this upcoming 127th HGPI Seminar, we will host Dr. Yoshiteru Yano, who is responsible for investigating and promoting policies related to family doctor services and online medical consultation systems at the MHLW. Dr. Yano will speak on various policies for improving healthcare access and share prospects for the future. Furthermore, given the demand for expertise in medicine and health in various areas, based on his firsthand experience, Dr. Yano will also introduce a wide range of the functions of Medical Technical Officers and other professionals who work on these measures, as well as current circumstances surrounding that system.

HGPI also makes efforts aimed at maintaining and improving healthcare access that include hosting discussions on topics like healthcare digital transformation (DX) and the future of the healthcare system, or conducting public opinion surveys on satisfaction in healthcare. At this HGPI Seminar, we would like to reintroduce the latest policy developments and consider the future direction of the domestic health system together with everyone in attendance.

[Event Overview]

• Speaker:
  Dr. Yoshiteru Yano (Health and Medical Technology Officer, General Affairs Division, Health Policy Bureau, MHLW)
• Date & Time: Thursday, July 18, 2024; from 18:30 to 19:45 JST
• Format: Online (Zoom webinar)
• Language: Japanese
• Participation Fee: Free
• Capacity: 500 participants

■Profile

Dr. Yoshiteru Yano (Health and Medical Technology Officer, General Affairs Division, Health Policy Bureau, MHLW)

Dr. Yoshiteru Yano is a graduate of the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine. His past roles at the MHLW include serving in the Medical Economics Division of the Health Insurance Bureau, where he took part in medical service fee schedule revisions; the Research and Development Division of the Health Policy Bureau, where he worked for the promotion of clinical research; and the Policy Planning Division of the Department of Health and Welfare for Persons with Disabilities, where his duties involved welfare for people living with disabilities. He has also been seconded to the Ministry of the Environment, the Miyazaki Prefectural Government, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He assumed his current position in July 2022, where his current responsibilities include the general management of technology projects in health policy, promoting family doctor services and online medical consultations, and medical advertising. Dr. Yano is a medical doctor and holds a Doctorate in Health Policy and Informatics from Tokyo Medical and Dental University.