Future of Hospitals

Administrative authorities, medical institutions, pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers of medicines, people with relevant knowledge and experience, and people in industrial papers

I   Medical Environment in Japan in 2020

1. 2020 was the year Japan had to fight against COVID-19 pandemic

• New normal was generated from outspread of COVID-19
• Infections rapidly expanded within a short period of time
• Europe under threat for another wave of pandemic
• Some findings in the COVID-19 calamity
• Relatively small number of patients in Japan without any particular reasons
• Decreased general patients visiting doctors. Earlier advent of the aging era with diminishing youngsters than expected
• Japan has been vulnerable to prevent spreading of infections
• Various factors caused belated enhancement of PCR testing
• No implementation of HER-SYS available
• Re-planning of China-based supply chains
• Operational issues becoming apparent from COVID-19 pandemic
• New normal in COVID-19 calamity

2. Deteriorated Operation of Medical Institutions

• Medical institutions and those concerned have been warning for medical care breakdown
• Huge sum for second supplementary budget to prevent medical care breakdown
• Deterioration in hospital management started affecting medical workers
• Request for the budget for FY2021 reaching the record-high 32,989.5 billion yen
• Is Japan able to subdue explosive expansion of infections?

3. Status of COVID-19 Infections
4. Hospitals and Clinics after COVID-19 Pandemic
5. Basic policy on economic and fiscal management, and on structural reform in CVID-19 calamity

II   Ever-Fiercer Environment for Hospital Operation

1. Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic to Hospital Operations

• Decreasing population in progress much earlier
• Community Health Care Vision cannot wait
• The scheme of "Second Medical Area" is not working at most local communities

2. Community Health Care Vision and Required Number of Hospital Beds

• Number of hospital beds required by 2025
• The current problems cannot be solved even after restructuring
• Public hospitals stick to acute stages
• Medical care treatment necessary for local residents

3. Serious shortage of reserved fund at 25 prefectures

• Fiscal resources have depleted at prefectures
• Case study of Niigata Prefecture

4. Work Style Reform for doctors can be the time bomb toward reconstruction of medical care provision system

• Implementation in 2024 is doubtful

III   Groping for Hospital Management toward 2040

1. Why hospital management in Japan become a sort of "Small profits and quick returns" operation?
2. What is Healthier Hospital Management?

• Symbiotic relationship rather than competition
• What needs to be done for healthier hospital management
• Necessity for the head and the secretariat of a hospital to get together
• Enhancement of BCP at hospitals
• Fixed cost and variable cost
• What needs to press ahead with Community Medical Partnership System
• Implementation of digitization
• How Hospitals should be in Future

IV   Case Studies of Noteworthy Hospital Management Strategy

V   Results of Questionnaire to Private Small-and-Midsize Hospitals