Local Medical Association as a Core Organization for Development of Primary Care Model in Japan —Lessons from the Onomichi Medical Association Method—

Abstract

A rapid ageing is on goimg in Japan. The population of aged more than 65 yr old accounts for 22% and Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 1.37 in 2008. The ageing of society means the increase of aged patients with multi-morbidity. This situation requires the development of primary care services. The Onomichi Medical Association (OMA) is a front runner for the construction of primary care model that fits for the ageing society. Based on the common awareness and sense of crisis regarding the rapidly growing percentage of the elderly population in the city, the OMA started their action in order to re-establish a reliable community. As the emergency care system is a basis of reliable community, the OMA started to establish the Onomichi Emergency Committee in 1992 and has organized the OMA Emergency system. Based on this family doctor’s network, the OMA has constructed other community health system such as the OMA method on dementia care, the OMA method on long-term care management programs, the OMA method on the end of life care, the OMA method on disease management. In this article, the authors explain an overview of OMA system.