SEOUL, August 23 (AJU PRESS) - Japan's health ministry plans to implement a model project to swiftly identify welfare recipients who frequently visit the same medical institutions, using an online system linked to personal identification numbers, the Japan Times reported on Thursday.
The initiative aims to provide necessary support and guidance to individuals before their medical visits become excessive. The project will utilize an online system containing information such as health insurance program details to monitor patients' medical consultation patterns.
"It's effective to approach patients before frequent medical visits take root," a ministry official said. The project will commence once preparations, including coordination with interested local governments, are complete.
According to ministry data, approximately 10,000 welfare recipients visited medical institutions at least 15 times per month in fiscal 2022, with about 2,000 of them reported by doctors to have made more excessive visits.
The current system, which relies on medical fee receipts, takes about two months to identify frequent visitors. The new online system aims to expedite this process, allowing for earlier intervention.
Local welfare offices will use the system to check recipients' medical visit records and provide advice through home visits if frequent visits are detected. The central government will fully fund the project, which is part of a broader health management support program launched in 2021.
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