2.Regional Disparities in Healthcare AccessAnother major issue is the regional disparity in healthcareaccess. Due to decades of restrictions on the number of medicalstudents admitted, there is a shortage of doctors in certain areas.In rural regions, the inconvenience of living conditions has ledto a concentration of healthcare professionals in urban centers.Although the ‘Healthcare Professionals Education Reform Act’of 2019 is expected to boost the number of doctors, the unevendistribution of healthcare professionals remains a persistentchallenge that still needs to be addressed.the implementation of EMRs, but challenges remain.In Japan, the adoption rate of electronic medical records in hospitals with more than 400 beds is quite high, reaching over 90% by 2020. However, in hospitals with fewer than 200 beds, and in clinics, the adoption rate is less than 50%. Considering the severe shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas, where small hospitals and clinics are more common, there is room for improvement. Since introducing EMRs costs significantly and requires skills to utilize, government subsidies for adoption and the provision of IT training are needed to achieve sustainable healthcare.FranceLike Japan and many other Western countries, France maintains a high standard of healthcare. However, it is facing two major and serious challenges.1.Pressure on Healthcare FundingIn France, the population aged 65 and older currently accountsfor 22% of the total population. By 2070, it is projected thatone in two people will live with someone aged 65 or older. Thisaging population is putting immense pressure on healthcarefunding. Additionally, the rising rates of chronic diseases, suchas cardiovascular conditions, type 2 diabetes (which is linked toa sedentary lifestyle), and cancer, are increasing the demand forlong-term healthcare services. These lifestyle-related diseasesrequire ongoing medical care, further straining the healthcaresystem’s resources.The previous section introduced the challenges facing both Japan and France. Both countries share similar issues, such as the imbalance between collected insurance premiums, taxes, and healthcare costs, as well as the shortage of healthcare professionals.One potential solution to these problems is Healthcare DX (Digital Transformation). DX refers to the process of using digital technologies to streamline operations and improve services.A good example of this is Electronic Medical Records (EMR). In the past, most hospitals used paper-based medical records and prescriptions. However, in a situation where there is a shortage of personnel, it is wasteful to spend valuable time printing PDFs and managing large amounts of paper. Both France and Japan have been actively working on “Future-Proofing Healthcare: The Role of Medical-Digital Transformation”4
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