Japan has launched new measures with an intention to ease restrictions on telemedicine usage, which is expected to help improve the delivery of healthcare in the country.

The Basic Policy for Countermeasures against New-type Coronavirus Infections was issued in February 2020 by the Task Force on New Coronavirus Infectious Diseases headed by the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Many emergency response measures were announced in the wake of Covid-19 including easing of restrictions on online medical care and enabling physicians to carry out first-time examinations or patient consultations online or by telephone. The scope of diseases that can be treated remotely and coverage of the services by national healthcare insurance was also widened.

Japan will be able to catch up with other early telemedicine adopters if the government makes these temporary measures permanent. It can also tackle the ongoing healthcare issues such as a shortage of physicians in rural areas, and significant aging population.

The demand for telemedicine services has also grown amid the pandemic. Inquiries about online healthcare have grown 15-fold since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Start-up firms such as Medley and MICIN have witnessed a surge in demand.

Line, Japan’s largest social media chat platform, announced in May that it was to launch a telemedicine app and expected 2,000 doctors to use it. Currently, Line has 80 million users in the country.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The analysis is based on data compiled by GlobalData from various sources.