OHJI CLINIC

Today, local healthcare is facing a variety of challenges. Three of the main challenges are the shortage of doctors and nurses, the increasing number of medical institution closures, and the difficulty of cooperation among medical institutions. On the other hand, cancer immunotherapy is attracting attention as a new approach that utilizes the patient's own immune system. However, the treatment method and the range of indications are still not well known, and many people say that it is “specialized and difficult” and “I am not sure if it is really a credible treatment. Knowing the importance of creating an environment in which all people facing cancer can correctly understand reliable information and make a convincing treatment choice, we began by designing a service design related to cancer immunotherapy to educate and disseminate new medical information.

Knowing the importance of creating an environment in which all people facing cancer can correctly understand reliable information and make a convincing treatment choice, we began by designing a service design related to cancer immunotherapy to educate and disseminate new medical information. Service design, which focuses on the value of the patient's experience and concerns, creates the value of the service and designs a system that can continue to provide it, is a useful approach to community medicine. Such an approach can help reduce the burden of hospital visits to distant locations. It is hoped that the ability to receive advanced medical care at local medical institutions will reduce the burden of long-distance travel. It also has the advantage of allowing elderly patients to continue treatment in their own familiar areas. In addition, we can provide the peace of mind that only a “family doctor” with whom a relationship of trust has been built can provide. If a clinic has been trusted by the local community for many years, it already has a relationship of trust with the local residents. When providing advanced medical care, the “bond with local residents” cultivated through conventional medical care will provide a boost. The website for this cancer immunotherapy service communicates its strength in providing easy-to-understand information and support systems as its service offerings. Because it is a local clinic, it can provide careful face-to-face explanations and consultation systems. The same physicians and staff provide ongoing care and can build relationships with patients, with less concern about changing personnel when they are seen for long periods of time, as is the case in large hospitals.

The creation of a center for advanced medical care as a form of local branding has the potential to increase the number of patients from outside the region and to have a ripple effect on the local economy as part of medical tourism (medical tourism). It has also improved the presence of medical institutions through differentiation, resulting in better quality of follow-up services for patients. In the future, as more local clinics focus on expanding their online medical services, remote consultations, and support systems, it will be easier to establish ongoing relationships with patients, even those who live far away. This enables patients to receive treatment with peace of mind. From the perspective of community branding, the establishment of a brand as a local health center is a major achievement. The duality of being a “reliable family doctor” for local residents and at the same time providing new medical care is a strength that not only improves the health awareness of local residents, but also makes it easier to attract interest from other areas. As a result, it leads to an improvement in the overall evaluation of the level of medical care in the community. Local medical institutions, which in the past tended to rely on word of mouth and referrals, are now required to disseminate information through their websites, SNS, and special websites. Proactively disseminating information on their track record in advanced medical care and patient feedback has provided an opportunity to establish an image of “local attractiveness” plus “advanced medical care.