Introduction to Japanese Healthcare Services to Saitama JET staff Japan Healthcare Info http://japanhealthinfo.com/

What would you do? Wednesday, 16:00 You develop a painful sore throat and feel feverish. Tomorrow you have 4 classes and are worried about losing your voice.

What would you do? Friday 7:00 You go to the bathroom and feel pain during urination. You have to go to work soon and are wondering what to do.

What would you do? You would like to schedule an annual health checkup (for ladies, pap smear and breast check) some time this week.

What would you do? Saturday, 14:00 You are in a hurry to catch a train and fall down on the stairs of your apartment, hitting your knee hard and now it is very painful to walk.

#1 Japanese Healthcare Providers How are they different? There are 2 types of medical institutions in Japan Hospital 病院　(more than 20 beds) Small, primary care institutions called Iin 医院 (doctor’s office) or kurinikku　クリニック、診療所 (clinic) Public Health Center Hokenjyo 保健所　 Health Examination Infectious disease tests including HIV Consultations regarding general health of the locals

#1-2 Japanese Healthcare Providers There is no official GP/family doctors in Japan. Patients choose the specialist clinic and see a specialist doctor. Generally Japanese patients visit local clinics first, and in case of surgery/admission for care, they are refer to hospitals. You can visit hospitals first if you like, but often Hospitals require Referral letter from local doctor (hospitals that have more than 200 beds) Extra fee without a referral letter (2,000 to 5,000 yen) Private or Public Hospital?

#1-3 Do Japanese hospitals/clinics accept patients at any time? At big hospitals, new patients are accepted only in the morning before 11:00. Most of them are closed on Saturday afternoon, Sundays and public holidays. Some of them require appointments via phone. Clinic The consultation hours vary for doctor’s office or clinic. Average is Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00, 14:00-18:00. Most are closed on Saturday afternoon, Sundays and public holidays. Some of them require appointments via phone. It is important to check if the clinic/hospital you want to go is open.

#2 Be a smart patient Time Management Waiting time Walk-in Japanese hospitals/clinics often require a long waiting time. “3 hours wait, 3 minute consultation” Tips Avoid Mondays and Saturday mornings, the first opening day after long holidays Call up the reception desk and ask when is a less busy time Locate an appropriate clinic/hospital for your condition and schedule Avoid last-minute scheduling as much as possible

#2-1 Be a smart patient Cost-conscious use Your health insurance covers 70% of the total fees including medication. Your out-of-pocket fee of 30% could increase if you Use Emergency Room service, seek treatment at night after 18:00, Sundays and Holidays See many new doctors, aka “doctor shopping” Go to non-insurance covered clinics/hospitals 自費診療 Go to clinics/hospitals not specialized in your condition Buy non-generic medication ジェネリック医薬品

#2-2 Be a smart patient Communication with Japanese Medical Staff It is not easy for even Japanese patients to communicate with medical staff. Many Japanese hospitals have NO translation service or allows phone translation Tips Prepare a note translated in Japanese. The note should include your purpose of visit, questions and how the condition progressed. See a doctor at the time when they are relatively not busy, especially the first visit. You can check this by calling the reception. If you don’t speak Japanese at all, bring a Japanese-speaking person at least the first time visit. Try the same doctor at least a couple of times even if your first visit wasn’t so satisfactory. Often your (and doctor’s) impression changes after seeing more than once.

# 3 Emergency Services in Saitama There is a hospital on the corner and they should help…this is not always the case. Levels of emergency care in Saitama (Sited from Saitama Prefecture : http://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/page/kyukyuiryo.html) Level 1: Primary care, should be provided by rotation clinics Level 2: Severely ill patient in need of operation or hospital admission. Care should be provided by major hospitals. Level 3: Critically ill patient at risk of death, care should be provided by designated high level hospitals

# 3-1 Emergency at night/holidays Choosing an appropriate provider Clinic If the condition is not so serious find a clinic that is open in your neighborhood. Saimata Local Doctors Association run night/holiday clinic called 夜間休日診療所(Yakan Kyujitsu Shinryojyo). There are 29 clinics in Saitama. Call the center first whether your condition is treatable at the clinic. Make a list of clinics near you. Hospital If the condition requires treatment from higher hospital, call their ER 救急診療(Kyukyushinryou) and ask if they can treat you. There are about 130 Level 2 hospitals, 7 Level 3 hospitals in Saitama. *Be Careful* Depending on the time/day, they may not have a specialist available. Ambulance When you need an immediate medical help, dial 119 to call an ambulance.

# 3-2 Minimize the use of emergency care To use emergency care is cumbersome and expensive. Unless your condition needs emergency care, minimize the use so that people in need can have a better access. Tips Do not wait until your condition gets better until night or during long weekends or holidays. Seek help at an early stage. Avoid scheduling a doctor’s visit on weekends or holidays as much as possible. If your reason to visit ER is due to work schedule, the hospital will not prioritize you (unless your condition is critical) and long waiting is expected.

Thank you for your attention! Japan Healthcare Info http://japanhealthinfo.com/ Wealth of information about Japanese Healthcare Services in English available. We are open Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00 contact@japanhealthinfo.com TEL: 080-4421-7477 Assistance provided for members on weekends and holidays as well.