Sat. Mar 28, 2020 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM [Room D] Room D (1F)

Organizers: Michiko Yamamoto (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto Univ), Takeo Nakayama (Sch Public Health, Kyoto Univ), Tetsumi Irie (Grad Sch Pharmaceut Sci, Kumamoto Univ)

Medical information, including drug information abundant in the media and on the Internet, is often incorrect and inaccurate, and therefore may be confusing to the public. In Japan, there are no comprehensive websites providing reliable information on medical care and drugs. The Internet is now used by three out of four people in Japan. The currently available websites are difficult to use, so consumers often have trouble finding correct information. In our survey of medical societies, more than 80% replied, "The public is not able to obtain drug information properly from the Internet." Most medical information websites in Japan do not meet the international evaluation standards for usefulness, and the mechanisms for ensuring reliability of the information provided are not deemed sufficient. In many western countries, a comprehensive medical information infrastructure based on evidence has already been developed, and is widely used by the public. We are faced with excessive medical care problems such as polypharmacy and increased medical expenses in our aging society. Improving health literacy of consumers and providing reliable and comprehensive information that meets their needs is an urgent issue that should be addressed by stakeholders. In this session, we would like to explore solutions for future development of a comprehensive medical information infrastructure in Japan through discussions of domestic and international situations, including our own research.