2003 Volume 23 Issue 5 Pages 431-440
The purpose of healthcare system reform in Japan is to improve the transparency of healthcare, to improve the quality and safety of healthcare, and to advance the efficiency of the healthcare system. To achieve this, systematization of the healthcare system Information Technology (IT) is indispensable. And, it is now the national policy to apply IT to the reform of the healthcare system.
However, the number of information engineers who bear this is insufficient, and the information processing organization that promotes it has not been sufficiently established in each medical institution to achieve this plan. Such is the problem of the plan for healthcare system reform.
Therefore, the Japanese Association of Medical Informatics (JAMI) started a project to promote engineers who have the technology for medical information processing. And, 979 new Healthcare Information Technologists (Healthcare IT) started in November, 2003. A Healthcare IT is a professional who well understands the feature of healthcare, and is a person who has the knowledge, technical expertise, ability to be able to use and to offer medical information safely and effectively by using the best information processing technology. This is the definition of the Healthcare IT profession. Ability different from past medical professionals and information professionals is requested for new Healthcare ITs. It is an ability to understand the ethical issues involved with medical information system management and medical information processing. Moreover, the ability to Communicate, Coordinate and Collaborate, is essential for the Healthcare ITs.
Presently, JAMI alone recognizes the necessity of this qualification. In addition, we should maintain the ability of recognized Healthcare IT corresponding to the change in the age of technological of progress, and execute continuous education in order to keep pace with advances in technology. Moreover, it is necessary to make an effort to create a national qualification in order to ensure high standards for long term.
