Healthcare
In the Healthcare Business, we aim to solve the social issue: "more severe burden on the working generation," which is due to the increase in social security expenses and the decrease in the working-age population, by contributing to "increasing the number of healthy people in the work force."
* We believe that there are three critical social issues that we need to solve in Japan’s aging society, and we have defined four strategic business areas to address these issues.
Decrease in QOL (quality of life) and work productivity caused by lifestyle-related diseases and mental disorders
Due to a decline in the working-age population, Japan is expected to face a labor shortage in all industries in the future. Moreover, among the working generation, there are many patients/potential patients with life-style related diseases, which often progress to critical illnesses such as diabetes and dementia. The number of people at high risk for metabolic syndrome and other life-style related diseases subject to specific health guidance reached 5.26 million in 2021*. Mental disorders caused by overworking or stress in the workplace have also been on the rise in recent years, with 1.28 million patients (2017) receiving medical treatment for depression and other mood disorders.
These physical and mental health issues are accelerating the decrease in QOL (quality of life) and labor productivity among the working generation who support the Japanese economy.
In order to halt this decline in the work force and increase its productivity, it is most important for people to be able to work healthily for a long period of time. For this reason, there is a strong need for early prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases and for prevention and measures to treat mental disorders through both physical and mental approaches.
Against this background, the Japanese government is focusing on measures to prevent lifestyle-related diseases and improve mental health. In particular, the government is actively promoting policies to promote the spread of "health and productivity management," in which companies work to improve the health of employees and their families.
*The number of recipients of specific health guidance as a result of specific health checkups. The implementation ratio of the specific health checkups is 56.5% (2021) and it is supposed that there are many more subjects.
We would like to solve this issue of decreasing QOL and productivity due to lifestyle-related diseases and mental disorders by realizing the following mission.
We aim to contribute to improving QOL and increasing the number of healthy people in the work force by preventing and treating lifestyle-related diseases and mental disorders.
Development of a health and productivity management support platform
In our Healthcare Business, we provide a health and productivity management support platform for companies and health insurance associations. The health and productivity management support platform is a series of systems to improve the health of employees and their families by providing companies and health insurance associations with evidence-based digital health services* that utilize the capabilities of healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, and dietitians, and to develop and provide even higher quality services using the accumulated health data.
For example, in our Remote Specific Health Guidance Service, we provide health insurance associations with nutrition guidance by registered dietitians based on the results of demonstration experiments with government agencies, to support the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases among employees (insured persons) and their families. This is a fully remote service using smartphones and has the advantage of being easy to continue due to the high frequency of intervention and the fact that it is not restricted by time or location.
In addition, our Remote Industrial Health Service provides comprehensive support for industrial health operations in the human resources and labor departments of companies, including visits by industrial physicians, stress checks, and the establishment and operation of health committees. In addition to industrial physicians, industrial nurses provide operational support and interviews with employees through a combination of on-site visits and remote support. This two-person support system helps reduce the workload of personnel/labor staff and provides better mental health care for employees with mental and physical disorders.
* Digital health : Improving the effects of medical care and healthcare by utilizing the latest digital health technologies such as AI, ICT, IoT, wearable devices, and big data analysis.
Maximizing the value provided through the platform by increasing the number of clients and expanding services
In order to realize the mission of our Healthcare Business, which is to "improve QOL and increase the number of healthy people in the work force," it is necessary to provide value to more companies and users through our health and productivity management support platform, and at the same time, to continuously increase the added value of our services.
For this reason, we expand our client coverage to hospitals and elderly care operators in addition to health insurance associations and small and medium sized companies (1) and develop and provide digital health services necessary for health and productivity management (2). Through these efforts, we increase the number of clients and users of our services (3). By making use of our network of nurses and registered dietitians to stably hire and train healthcare professionals, we realize high-quality and high-value-added services (4). Then, we analyze and leverage the large amount of health data we have accumulated to develop new services and improve existing services (5), thereby increasing the effectiveness of prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases and mental disorders, and maximizing the value provided by the health and productivity management support platform.
Realizing a society where people can work healthily for a long period of time
By realizing the mission of our Healthcare Business, we will contribute to solving the social issue: "more severe burden on the working generation."
Employees (end users) working at companies can lead better lives and work in good health for a long period of time by preventing and treating lifestyle-related diseases and mental disorders through our health and productivity management support platform. By increasing the number of employees who are healthy and highly productive, employer companies (operators) can improve their management efficiency.
In addition, by providing new work options and opportunities such as remote health guidance, nurses, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals can choose careers suited to their lifestyles, such as balancing work with childcare, and continue to work with a sense of job satisfaction. End users can work healthily and vibrantly for a long period of time thanks to services provided by healthcare professionals who work vibrantly throughout their lives.
In this way, we will contribute to increasing the number of healthy people in the work force, thereby improving the quality of life for people living in Japan’s aging society.
Services in the Healthcare Business
Remote specific health guidance
We provide specific health guidance services for health insurance associations. This is a completely remote service, and after an online interview, registered dietitians provide regular nutrition guidance through chat sessions based on data, such as meals and weight. We also support medical insurers in solving issues, such as improving the implementation and continuation rates of specific health guidance and covering recipients of the guidance in various parts of Japan. Through prevention and improvement of lifestyle-related diseases, we aim to contribute to improving QOL and increasing the number of healthy people in the work force.
Remote industrial health service
This program offers support for industrial health operations for corporate personnel/labor staff. We provide various support, including visits by industrial physicians, implementation of stress checks, and establishment and operation of health committees. With a two-person system of an industrial physician and an industrial nurse, as well as a combination of on-site visits and remote services, we reduce the workload of corporate management/human resource management and improve employee health. By realizing physical and mental care for employees, we aim to contribute to improving QOL and increasing the number of healthy people in the work force.
Remote preventive solution for lifestyle-related diseases
We offer aggravation prevention services for people with lifestyle-related diseases and people with mild to moderate diabetes. After an online interview, a registered dietitian in charge provides regular nutrition guidance to each individual via chat.
Quit-smoking support using ICT
We offer a smoking cessation support service for a wide range of smokers. By providing smoking cessation information and interactive support from a smoking cessation advisor, we help smokers overcome their desire to smoke.
Quit-smoking solution with behavior therapy
The program aims to achieve quit-smoking in three months by providing quit-smoking information supervised by doctors and advisor support that works on the individual's smoking psychology. We also provide analysis reports that are useful for health and productivity management.
Preventive solution for elderly care turnover
We provide a combination of programs for corporate HR departments and employees. Remote interviews with specialists, an intranet specialized in elderly care, and educational programs are available.
Support for women's health and productivity management
We offer a program with technical information and e-learning for working women employees and their managers. Healthcare professionals support women's specific health issues, such as menstruation, fertility, childbirth, and childcare.
Web community for registered dietitians/dietitians
This web community provides content for dietitians, such as "menu repo," where users can post, view, and make comments on menus, Q&A page specialized in dietitian work, and job/career-related information. We support dietitians from many perspectives.
Information portal of industrial health service
Under the supervision of specialists, we provide information on industrial health to personnel/labor staff, industrial physicians, and industrial nurses, covering various things from related laws, such as the Industrial Safety and Health Act, to stress checks, the appointment of industrial physicians, and health and productivity management.
Information portal for dementia patients and their families
Under the supervision of dementia specialists, we offer content that supports the early detection, prevention, and improvement of dementia/MCI (mild cognitive impairment), including the latest news and reading materials/videos that provide basic knowledge of dementia.
Preventive solution for dementia
We provide an online program to prevent, improve, and delay dementia under the supervision of MCI clinic specialists. In the training class, specialized trainers conduct cognitive function exercises.
Habitual support for dementia prevention
Developed under the supervision of dementia specialists, this program combines dietary and lifestyle guidance with exercise and brain training. We provide one-stop support from the implementation of services to the provision of analysis results reports.
Elderly care/frailty surveys, planning, and prevention project for local governments
This program supports local governments seeking to integrate health services and care prevention for the elderly. We provide one-stop support for various surveys, organization/analysis of local issues, formulation of policies, and implementation of concrete measures such as specific health guidance and preventive education for elderly care/frailty.
Stress checks specialized for medical care and elderly care industries
We provide group analysis results that can be compared with other medical institutions and elderly care operators nationwide, as well as individual results with advice on self-care. The service clarifies issues within the organization to prevent turnover and retain personnel.