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The Present Circumstance of Primary Care in Japan

Akiteru Takamura

Due to the rapidly aging population, increasing medical expenditure, and foreign pressure on medical education, Japan is confronting the need for major reform in its medical care system, especially regarding primary care. After our economic stagnation began, the medical expense covered by medical insurance has become a major issue. In spite of our good quality of health care, the Japanese government made a decision to change the health care structure to introduce a GP/FP (General practitioner/Family physician) system and is seriously trying to reform the primary care situation for our context. For those challenges, we have to consider our history of primary care (How did specialists in Japan come to play an important role in primary care different from other countries?), the development of our medical system (What are the present issues of Medicare with regards to primary care in Japan?) and the approach from medical education (How should we change to nurture primary care doctors with the proper GP/FP training for under- and post-graduates?). Japan must try to keep, develop and deliver effective and good health care for the future through primary care practice reform.