Initiatives to establish support systems for primary health care and home care in community-based integrated care in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan

In Japan, we have problems with delivery systems for local health and social care because of the inequality of available care resources and collaboration arrangements. Therefore, in order to establish a care delivery system in local communities, it is necessary to clarify the obstacles and find solutions to ensure the health and social care resources that meet the needs of a local community and arrange interventions to minimize the difficulties of coordination between health and social care systems. 　In this report, I will introduce the initiatives in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan by focusing on two approaches facilitating coordination between health and social care: 1) training doctors for primary health care and home care and 2) establishing a hub for primary health care and home care. Through examining these two approaches, I will discuss the direction for the future. 　Regarding the training of doctors for primary health care and home care, we first analyzed the current situation of the home doctor training project in Chu-Toh-En Area in Shizuoka and found that those home doctors are trained as general practitioners. Therefore, I emphasize the importance of continuing to train home doctors with specialized educational programs in order to establish a community-based care system in a municipality. 　Regarding the establishment of a hub for primary health care and home care, I examined the example of a primary health care and home care center, In Japan, we have problems with delivery systems for local health and social care because of the inequality of available care resources and collaboration arrangements. Therefore, in order to establish a care delivery system in local communities, it is necessary to clarify the obstacles and find solutions to ensure the health and social care resources that meet the needs of a local community and arrange interventions to minimize the difficulties of coordination between health and social care systems. 　In this report, I will introduce the initiatives in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan by focusing on two approaches facilitating coordination between health and social care: 1) training doctors for primary health care and home care and 2) establishing a hub for primary health care and home care. Through examining these two approaches, I will discuss the direction for the future. 　Regarding the training of doctors for primary health care and home care, we first analyzed the current situation of the home doctor training project in Chu-Toh-En Area in Shizuoka and found that those home doctors are trained as general practitioners. Therefore, I emphasize the importance of continuing to train home doctors with specialized educational programs in order to establish a community-based care system in a municipality. 　Regarding the establishment of a hub for primary health care and home care, I examined the example of a primary health care and home care center, "Fukushia," in Kakegawa city in Shizuoka. This care center offers a unified access point to the administration, a community-based integrated care center, a social welfare council, and home-visit nursing stations, which enables individuals to connect promptly and efficiently with both formal and informal services across different care sectors including medical, health, social, and welfare. Having a system that allows different professionals in a local community to have organic collaboration aids coordination between health and social care for elderly individuals as well as solving obstacles for elderly individuals to continue living independently in their local communities.