Abstract
What we medical coordinators aim at is “an advance intervention” that prevents disease and hardships in life through preventive health counseling. It is true that these interventions focus on improving health conditions. “Mind and skills” are the pillars of medical coordination. Medical coordinators are concerned about and sympathize with clients. Advance intervention enables clients and families to make satisfactory decisions. Currently, time limitations prevent full implementation of advance interventions. We intend in the future to promote health literacy so that any community member can perform advance interventions when needed, with our support and under our supervision. Here I introduce two cases where I as a medical coordinator, on the client's behalf, have supported clients' and families' decision making and reduced their hardships, especially economic burdens. In these cases, the client's life was threatened because medical staff did not understand the client's real intention and because the client did not know how to inform the medical staff of their situation. How can we bridge the gap between clients and medical staff? How can we find out our clients' real needs? How can clients achieve satisfactory decision making? I want to consider these things with you at the symposium.
