World Scientific Series in Global Health Economics and Public Policy

Health Care Policy in East Asia: A World Scientific Reference

Volume 2: Health Care System Reform and Policy Research in Japan

https://doi.org/10.1142/10794-vol2 | January 2020

Pages: 404

Edited by:
Toshihiko Hasegawa (Future Health Research Institute, Japan),
Tomonori Hasegawa (Toho University, Japan),
Tomohiro Hirao (Kagawa University, Japan),
Masahide Kondo (University of Tsukuba, Japan), and
Sunil Mehra (NICHIKO, Japan)

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This volume is part of a reference set. To view or order the whole set, please visit the main page.

During the past three decades, health care systems in the East Asian regions of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have undergone major changes. Each system has its unique achievements and challenges. Global health care policymakers are increasingly interested in understanding the changes that have taken place in these four systems. This four-volume reference set is designed to help health care professionals, academics, policymakers, and general readers gain a good grasp of the background and latest developments in the health care systems of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. This reference set provides an in-depth comparative health policy analysis and discussion of health care reform strategies in each of these systems. One unique feature of this set is that each volume has been edited by a leading scholar who has been deeply involved in the development of the health care system in that particular region. Each of these editors also has invited both scholars and practitioners to provide a first-hand description and analysis of key health care reform issues in that system. The many examples provided in each volume demonstrate how findings of evidence-based policy research can be implemented into policy practice.

Volume 2 provides a comprehensive review and evaluation of the Japanese health care system. Japan has a long history of health care system development and provision of universal health coverage, with a mature and well-developed health care system among East Asian countries. However, due to increases in health care costs, economic stagnation and the country's rapidly aging population, Japan has undergone significant health care reform during the last two decades, both in the delivery as well as financing of health services in its hospital sector, medical technology sector and long-term care insurance. Despite these challenges and reforms, health outcomes among the Japanese population have been progressively among the best in the world. This volume shows how policy research can lead to policy analysis, implementation and assessment. It also provides valuable lessons learnt for mutual learning among other health care systems.

Figure 1. GDP growth rate of Japan (1956–2016).
Source: Japanese Government Statistics.

Figure 8. Care cycle.

Demographic drift in Japan.

Contents:

Introduction (Toshihiko Hasegawa)
Historical Review of Health Sector Reform in Japan:
- Health Sector Reform in Japan (Toshihiko Hasegawa)
- Koizumi Reform (Tomonori Hasegawa)
Japanese Health System: Its Evolution and Performance:
- Health Transition and Historical Development of Health System in Japan (Toshihiko Hasegawa)
- Demographic and Epidemiological Transition in Japan (Tomohiro Hirao)
- Scaling Up Community Health Insurance: Japan's Experience with 19th Century — Jyorei Scheme (Sumiko Ogawa)
- Performance of Health System in Japan Using International Benchmarking (Shuichi Suzuki)
- How Japan Became Number One in Longevity (Tomoyuki Watanabe)
Health Promotion Research and Policies:
- Healthy Japan 21: New Approaches to Health in Super-Aged Society (Kyoko Okamura and Toshihiko Hasegawa)
- Influencing Policy by Research on Control of Blood Pressure in Japan (Nayu Ikeda)
- Filling "Vaccine Gap" in Japan by Using Research Evidence (Shu-ling Hoshi, Aiko Shono and Masahide Kondo)
Health Care Delivery Research and Policy Development:
- Government Hospital Reform (Keiko Takahashi)
- Continuity of Care through Linking Community, Clinic and Hospital (Masaki Muto)
- Evaluation of the Impact of Certificate-of-Need on Hospital Capacity (Koichiro Sawano)
Human Resources Research and Policy Development:
- Addressing Challenges in Supply and Distribution of Physicians (Tomonori Hasegawa and Kunichika Matsumoto)
- History of Human Resources Development Policy for Nurses and Other Health Professionals (Kunichika Matsumoto)
Outcome Management Research and Policy Development:
- Outcome Management Research and Policies Including Quality of Care and Safety (Tomonori Hasegawa)
Health Financing Research to Policy Development:
- Development of Payment Method and Options for Financing Health Sector in Super-Aged Society (Tomonori Hasegawa)
- Universal Health Coverage and Private Health Insurance in Japan: From Policy Research to Practice (Masato Kosaka and Masahide Kondo)
- Pricing and Reimbursement Systems of Drugs and Medical Devices and Health Technology Assessment in Japan (Hiroyuki Sakamaki)
Research and Policy on Healthcare information and Communication Technology:
- Health Care Information Delivery with Information and Communication Technology (Sae Ochi)
Future Challenges and Possible Directions for Japan in the 21st Century:
- Demographic Drift and a Care Cycle Concept: The Foundation to Build Health Care and Welfare in the 21st Century (Toshihiko Hasegawa)
Learning from Japan's Experience in Health Care System Reform:
- Japan's Health System Reform to Build and Maintain UHC: Relevance to Other Countries (Sunil Mehra)

Readership: Professionals, students and general public who are interested to understand the health care systems in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.