Development of Specific Health Guidance Support System aiming to Improve Lifestyle Habits

Objective: Various difficulties were anticipated following the implementation of specific health guidance in April 2008, such as in the preparation of support plans and provision of continuous support to those receiving guidance as well as in administrative aspects such as management of health guidance evaluation points and data. In view of this, together with Honest Co., Ltd, we created an integrated support system covering everything from the initial interview to reporting, with public health nurses and nationally registered dieticians involved in specific health guidance playing a central role. <br>Methods: The system was developed by cardiovascular specialists, public health nurses, nationally-registered dieticians, data management staff and Honest Co., Ltd. systems engineers (SE) during the period 9 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. PowerPoint slides prepared by the public health nurses and nationally registered dieticians were made into a system of screens by the SE and through repeated checks and amendments, the content of each screen was finalized. <br>Results: The major features of the system are as follows: initial interview screen using movies and graphics, health guidance given in a fun way that will keep people’s interest, effective use of limited time for support, simplified reciprocal calorie conversion of food and exercise using 100 kcal cards, automatic preparation of 6-month continuous support schedules, integrated management of daily support schedules and data/health guidance evaluation points, timely sharing of support information among staff and all support information in digital form. The system was used in giving specific health guidance to consenting eligible examinees among those undergoing ningen dock-type health check-ups and health check-ups by means of mobile facilities conducted by 12 contracted bodies (9 municipal national health insurance associations and 3 other health insurance associations). Up to the end of December 2008, a total of 1,653 persons underwent specific health guidance (initial interview) consisting of 567 ningen dock and 1,086 mobile health check-up examinees. This was 88.8% of all examinees.<br>Conclusion: We consider our support system to be indispensable to a staff consisting of only 12 public health nurses, 4 nationally-registered dieticians, and 6 health exercise instructors in conducting specific health guidance for over 1,500 people annually. Next fiscal year, we will evaluate the results in consideration of efforts made to address shortcomings in the current year and further improve the system.