Is Japan’s system of medical care sustainable in the face of an aging society?
While various policy menus have been formulated to deal with the issues, little
progress has been made in systemic reform, and a sense of crisis is widespread.
The experts interviewed for this issue of the NIRA Policy Review offer suggestions – we must respect the right of self-determination for patients, and we must find ways of moving beyond an excessive dependence on consultations with physicians. The
necessities for rendering the status of medical care visible through the use of data
and for creating mechanisms for the provision of medical care based on needs are
also indicated.