Telemedicine 3.0: The Real Anywhere and Anytime

Clinical applications of telemedicine using digital technology are in demand in Japan and continue to expand. However, with some exceptions, it would be difficult to say that the current situation is adequate in terms of encouraging research and development, formulating guidelines that need to be established before telemedicine can spread, and providing support programs for these activities. The "Telestroke" telemedicine system for the treatment of stroke has been adopted in other countries due to the early establishment of a medical device program compatible with guidelines and the steady accumulation of evidence, creating a situation that leads the world. With optimization of the support program from the perspective of strategically produced evidence by governments and related organizations, and by taking these results as model cases for other regions, telemedicine in Japan is thought to progress to a new stage.