[The current status of home medical treatment and its development in the future]

In this aging society, life-style diseases, chronic diseases, and disorders related to aging comprise a considerable share of the diseases treated medically. The importance of home treatment has consequently increased. Compared to patients treated in the hospital, those treated at home usually cannot receive sufficient treatment at present, and may impose a burden of care on family members. However, the cost of treatment at home including medical expenses is generally smaller than that in the hospital. In addition, treatment at home has the advantage that patients can be treated and cared for without reservation by their family members in the dwelling where they have used to living their lives. In Japan, home treatment has been performed by general practitioners making home visits. In response to the increased and diversified needs of community residents, new types of home treatment have also been explored recently, and even clinics specialized in home treatment have been opened. Not only medical doctors but also various medical workers, such as nurses, pharmacists, and physical therapists participate in home treatment at present, and medical instruments and methods of telecommunication have been developed. These circumstances are expected to improve the quality of medical treatment at home. In particular, recent advances in techniques and deregulation have exceeded previous expectations as exemplified by the increased number of downsized mobile and portable medical instruments and by the development of devices that allow diagnostic imaging to be performed at home.