Abstract
Today, selection of welfare services is generally made "at the discretion of users." This report is intended to identify information promoting users' selection of welfare services from the following four aspects: (1) Qualifications required for service providers and the profiles of those qualifications (2) Third parties' evaluation of welfare services (3) Information disclosure by service providers (4) Users' evaluation of welfare services For each aspect, discussions are specifically focused on: (1) social welfare-related professionals with national qualifications should be allowed for monopoly on their business (for this purpose, it is urgently needed to require the qualified professionals to continuously improve their quality, and to provide them with career improvement systems), (2) enhancement of the MHLW Project for Third Parties' Evaluation of Welfare Services, (3) standardization of information disclosure under the revised nursing insurance system and utilization of the disclosed information by users, and (4) preparation of hearing systems to collect users' evaluation of welfare services. Comprehensive discussions and efforts concerning these aspects are necessary to promote users' selection of welfare services.
