Abstract
Women's health clinics, which are a new style of outpatient care with services designed specially for women, have multiplied rapidly over the past two years in Japan.
Women's health clinics have moved away from the traditional clinic outpatient system of medical care and emphasize treatment of each patient comprehensively, viewing her as an individual woman. In addition to medical examinations conducted by women doctors, female patients are seeking medical care that focuses on each individual and want to feel comfortable enough to ask for the information they want. Medical examinations are conducted in private rooms to protect a patients' privacy and an appointment system has been introduced to allow enough time to consult with the doctor.
Including 12 national hospitals, Women's health clinic services are available in many city hospitals and private clinics all over Japan. The Women's health clinic network system began in 2003. Gender-specific medicine is now recognized to be important by medical doctors and patients.
