Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered a practical stage with the third AI boom that began in 2000, achieving widespread use in real-world applications. Advances in technology have enabled AI to perform creative tasks. In the future, AI is expected to be utilized in various aspects of healthcare. AI is becoming increasingly practical for image diagnosis, particularly in detecting lesions and classifying diseases. With further advancements in AI, its applications in diverse fields of medicine are expected to support diagnosis and improve work efficiency.

Although AI assists in data analysis and diagnosis, understanding and empathizing with the emotions and psychological states of patients remains a uniquely human ability. In psychosomatic medicine, it is crucial to understand the emotions and psychological conditions of patients to provide personalized treatment. AI is a useful tool for diagnosis and data analysis; however, building trust with patients and formulating personalized treatment plans relies on human doctors. Therefore, even in this era of advancing AI technology, medical care based on the expertise and humanity of physicians remains essential.

Online medical consultations in Japan have developed through gradual relaxation of legal frameworks. They progressed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and distance restrictions were lifted in 2022. Considering that the time and location flexibility of online consultations could help address the regional disparity issues in psychosomatic medicine, our clinic has been operating since 2022 with a focus on digital transformation and patient experience, primarily offering online consultations.

We have implemented various digital innovations, including an end-to-end system from appointment booking to payment, and utilizing ICT for patient acquisition. Challenges in online consultations include difficulties in physical symptom assessment and examinations, and limitations in emergency response. Future prospects include accumulating long-term research data, developing guidelines, and integrating new technologies.

While maintaining a focus on mind-body interactions, it is expected that an appropriate combination of online and face-to-face consultations will improve patients’ quality of life.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain and abnormal bowel movements that significantly affect the quality of life (QOL) of affected individuals. IBS treatment involves both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, with dietary therapy playing a critical role. This review focuses on self-management programs for IBS and discusses the importance of dietary interventions, gut microbiota modulation, and the use of eHealth tools to support patient self-management. Special attention is given to the efficacy of low FODMAP diets and probiotics, as well as the potential of eHealth applications to alleviate IBS symptoms and enhance QOL. Integrating these approaches into a comprehensive self-management program offers patients an effective means of managing their condition and improving their well-being. This study presents new directions for IBS treatment, emphasizing the growing importance of self-management strategies in the effective management of IBS.

Recently, the Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a real-time symptom-recording method used in everyday life, has advanced the field of psychosomatic and behavioral medicine. This manuscript provides an overview of the basic concepts of EMA, its clinical applications, and Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI), an intervention method that utilizes EMA data. For example, studies using EMA in patients with tension-type headaches have shown that psychological stress precedes headache exacerbations. Additionally, research on patients with type 2 diabetes revealed a positive correlation between psychological stress and increased caloric intake from snacking. Furthermore, an intervention study using EMI found improvements in caloric intake and weight following a six-month intervention with an automatic calorie calculation application. The use of machine learning has expanded, and new developments in personalized medicine are anticipated.

In recent years, digital transformation (DX) has made significant strides in the medical field, particularly in the digitalization of patient-reported outcomes (PRO) within psychosomatic medicine and psychiatry. The electronic version of self-administered questionnaires, known as ePRO, enables real-time evaluation of the subjective health status, enhancing both data accuracy and efficiency. This advancement supports measurement-based care (MBC) and decentralized clinical trials (DCT), facilitating patient-centered healthcare. Overall, the implementation of ePRO improves the quality of care, strengthens communication between patients and healthcare providers, and serves as a vital tool for maximizing treatment effectiveness.

There are various types of large medical data, such as electronic medical records, health checkup data, and prescription data from pharmacies. It is important to convert these databases into an analyzable format, build a unified healthcare platform, and aggregate and integrate information from each source. At the Center for Information Initiative, Showa University, the institution has led efforts in unifying the medical data of affiliated hospitals, which are distributed across several regions. Additionally, a next-generation Personal Health Record system has been developed and is currently being implemented that allows patients to actively manage their own medical and health information. Patients can access medical data using smartphones and easily and securely retrieve their health information. Additionally, real-time biological data (e. g., blood pressure, autonomic nervous function, and sleep patterns) measured using wearable devices can be cross-referenced with the system. In the near future, the following four tasks will need to be addressed : implementation of wearable monitoring devices (to track of health status), utilization of life-assistance tools (to support daily life functions), utilization of feedback systems in the life space (personal-environment interface), and the evolving role of psychosomatic specialists (human resource development to be leaders for health management). As data can be analyzed almost instantly, real-time feedback on changes in the current physical and mental state of the patient can be provided to the patient.

Objectives : In Japan, treatment and employment support for cancer patients is being promoted through multidisciplinary cooperation and collaboration. Various findings have suggested the need for mental support from the viewpoints of medical personnel (Bio) and the workplace (Social), but few reports have focused on their decision-making process of the patients themselves. This study aimed to introduce a clinical psychological perspective (Psycho) to the current view and to clarify the experiential process related to employment among cancer patients.

Subjects : 26 cancer patients who were employed at the time of diagnosis.

Methods : Semi-structured interviews were conducted with cancer patients working between August and November 2017. The data were analyzed using the Trajectory Equifinality Model (TEM).

Results : Two psychological conflicts were suggested in the decision-making process: "before diagnosis/fighting cancer/fighting myself as a cancer patient/setting myself in society with new values"

Conclusion : Providing additional support based on patients' psychological experiences shows promise for the work-treatment balance.