Japan kicked off its nationwide digital health programme to spearhead the shift of the country’s health sector to a digital first environment.

The target is an extensive, (generally accessible) nationwide digital health strategy for Japan to deliver the ‘new model of health care’. Launched today by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the “Digital Health Japan” program is an advanced attempt at using technologies to cope with issues brought by Japan’s aging population and high-cost healthcare system.

In the center of this drive lies the roll out of a centralised nationwide health information technology system with patients, healthcare providers and insurance firms. This will create a system of interoperable electronic health records, and telemonitoring of real Time health status, as well as individualised advisory based on artificial intelligence analysis. The government expects the system to be complete by 2026 but will start trials in some of the prefectures in early 2022.

The major activities aimed at under the Digital Health Japan program include the mass distribution of wearable health devices across the country. There are plans to subsidize the cost of these devices for ageing as well as those with complication prone health issues. These wearables will constantly record client’s vital signs, physical activity and sleep patterns, sending this information to the central health platform. These health monitoring act as if they were a continual check on the users’ health, thus helping detect would-be health complications on time.

Proposed also is a stacked investment on tele-medicine facility as part of the overall reform agenda. There are many shortage of healthcare professionals in the rural areas of Japan; therefore, the government of Japan considers telemedicine as an essential means of providing equal health care. The new digital platform will enable quality video consultations, remote monitoring, and even the execution of an initial AI diagnosis.

To address concerns on privacy, the government has sought the public into understanding that only protective measures of data will be taken. Health data will also be encrypted and the patients have full control of their data to allow who to access it. The system is also going to be designed based on blockchain to provide encryption and the ability to track records.

However, the Digital Health Japan program seeks to enhanced the delivery of health services while strengthening the clients’ health to prevent diseases. There will be plenty of prescribed and customized health coaching services like nutritional guidance based on one’s health statistics and DNA. The government expects that through provision of customized health information the related diseases of a personal or lifestyle nature will be mitigated and healthy lifestyles enhanced.

This has been embraced by most professionals within the field of health and many technology oriented people too. Dr. Digital health expert at Tokyo University Hiroshi Tanaka said that is quite a progressive step for the Japanese government to announce this initiative and possibly will open a new chapter in the country’s healthcare sector that is more effective, more patient-tailored, and more mainstreamed. It is necessary to counterbalance the difficulties that the aging society poses as a problem in the modern world today.

However, some arguments have been made to the effect that exclusion of the Aged might be rife especially given their lack of understanding of matters to do with technology. To enhance the situation, the government has already declared the intention to implement the digital literacy program for seniors across the country that will cover health platform and relevant devices teaching with free training lessons.

The Digital Health Japan program has also estimated the cooperation with the private sector. The government is currently creating a fund that will provide funding to new and growing businesses that create other technologies focusing on health that can be added to the platform. This is likely to bring new levels of growth in Japan’s digital health and enable the country recognize leadership in health technology across the world.

In relation to the initiative, the government is also reformulating the rules with a view to enhancing the use of new technologies in the health sector. These include the proposals to cut red tape for digital health devices and develop a regulatory sandbox for experimental healthcare services.

Digital Health Japan could not have been introduced at a better time since the country has one of the aging populations globally and the soaring costs of health care. With this audacious plan, Japan is hoping to transform the delivery of healthcare services by using technology to produce a more sustainable system. The whole world is going to witness whether this push for a digital front will actually help Japan in improving its sickness and health indicators for its people in the coming years of the initiative.