抄録
It is a great pleasure and an honor to host the 10th International Biophilia Rehabilitation Conference (10th IBRC) in Chieti, Italy, on October 15, 2013. I am Toshiyuki Tanaka, co-chair of the 10th IBRC. I am part of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, which is a long-established private institution founded in Japan in 1858 by Yukichi Fukuzawa. Keio University is well known to researchers worldwide for the students and professors who produce high-quality research.
My research field is pattern measurement, including medical image processing and computer-aided diagnosis. In recent years, hospitals have seen increases in the number of patients, in step with the aging of the population. Following advances in medical devices using techniques such as fMRI, fNIRS, and X-ray CT to support the work of doctors, the precision of diagnosis has risen markedly. However, it seems that the burdens on doctors have not lessened. To reduce these burdens, we are developing a diagnosis support system using medical image processing.
The number of older patients, especially stroke patients, is increasing in the rehabilitation field as well. The current system in Japan is limited in that each patient requires individual attention from a physical therapist. Therefore, we have proposed a new rehabilitation system that allows a physical therapist to use devices to respond to several patients simultaneously. However, the new system will not catch on quickly, because the business-model mindset present in medical services is not shared by doctors in Japan. At present, only big and wealthy hospitals can keep physical therapists on staff, because the one-to-one rehabilitation system is not an efficient business model. The one-to-many system is more realistic for a successful model, and would allow many small hospitals to hire physical therapists, thereby improving employment among physical therapists.
Through a workshop and research exchange, we hope that the 10th IBRC will provide the opportunity to introduce important innovations in the field of the rehabilitation.
