Initiatives with external partners

Cooperation with external partners for better medical care, elderly care, and healthcare

At SMS, we believe it is essential to ensure the sound development of the medical care, elderly care, and healthcare industries through appropriate corporate activities and service provision to realize our Group Mission: "to improve people's quality of life by providing information infrastructure for an aging society.” Based on this recognition, we are working to improve the quality of our services and those of the industry as a whole, as well as to solve the social issues facing aging societies, through collaboration with external partners such as companies, government agencies, and research institutions.


Improvement of the quality of recruiting agent services

As a recruiting agency for medical, elderly care, and childcare professions, we have established the Medical, Elderly care, and Childcare Recruitment Council (initially established as the Medical Recruitment Council) since 2015 as a subordinate organization of the Japan Executive Search, and Recruitment Association, with the aim of improving the quality of services in the industry and enhancing the trust of our customers and society. We serve as a representative of the organization, and together with 34 member companies (as of November 2023), we are promoting the following initiatives and working to improve the industry.

  • Do not use inappropriate advertising expressions that may encourage healthcare professionals to change jobs.
  • Do not encourage healthcare professionals whom we have referred in the past to change jobs again.
  • Do not offer money to healthcare professionals that would interfere with proper referral to business operators looking for job candidates.

Through the activities of this council, we will promote the provision of appropriate services and the sound development of the industry, thereby contributing to solving the shortage and uneven distribution of workers.


Business development based on evidence

In developing new businesses in the healthcare field, our policy is to verify the effectiveness and practicality of services through demonstration projects with government agencies, national research institutes, and partner companies. By providing high-quality health and productivity management support services based on evidence, we aim to realize a society where many people can live healthy and vibrant lives.

■ Examples of verification projects

Projects Participants
Dietitian intervention for pre-diabetics using IoT
(METI "Infrastructure development project for the creation of new industrial models to promote IoT", 2015.)
SMS Co., Ltd.
Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd.
Disease prevention and health promotion for women during pregnancy and childcare using IoT
(NEDO "Infrastructure development project for the creation of new industrial models using IoT", 2017.)
SMS Co., Ltd.
National Center for Child Health and Development
Intervention study on health improvement for pre-diabetic patients using IoT
(AMED "Research on behavior change in lifestyle-related diseases using IoT", 2017-2019.)
SMS Co., Ltd.
National Center for Global Health and Medicine
Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd.

Joint research with universities and research institutes to understand Japan's aging society and develop services

In collaboration with universities and research institutes, we use the data accumulated through our service operations to investigate and analyze various phenomena that occur in Japan’s aging society, and to develop and improve services that are required in Japan’s aging society.
For example, in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba (Principal Investigator: Dr. Nanako Tamiya, Professor and General Director of Research & Development Center for Health Services, University of Tsukuba), we are conducting various research projects, surveys, and analyses that lead to ascertaining the actual status of elderly care and realizing better elderly care by utilizing the data accumulated in Kaipoke, our management support platform for elderly care operators. The results of these research projects are presented at academic conferences and published at Korei-shakai Lab, our research institute that conducts and publishes research on Japan’s aging society. Through joint research, by understanding the state of Japan’s aging society from various angles, we will develop and improve services that are more in demand in the domains of medical care, elderly care, healthcare, and senior life, thereby contributing to solving social issues caused by Japan’s aging society.