Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese health ministry plans to support medical institutions that introduce cloud-based electronic medical record systems, which manage medical records and other information online using external servers. The ministry will establish a program in the ongoing fiscal year ending next March to certify cloud-based systems with strong cybersecurity measures, and provide subsidies to medical institutions introducing such systems as early as fiscal 2027. Electronic medical records store treatment records, test results and other information as electronic data to facilitate sharing within medical institutions. As of June, 72.6 pct of clinics and 73.5 pct of hospitals with 199 or fewer beds had adopted the technology. The government aims to have almost all medical institutions adopt electronic medical records by 2030. At large hospitals with 200 or more beds, where the adoption rate is currently above 80 pct, electronic data are often managed on servers installed on hospital premises. While this allows data input methods and other functions to be configured flexibly according to each institution’s needs, on-premises storage is considered to carry a higher risk of cyberattacks because multiple outside vendors are involved in its maintenance and operation. By contrast, cloud-based systems are maintained and operated centrally by service providers, making it easier to implement security measures and reduce operating costs. The health ministry will certify cloud-based systems that meet cybersecurity standards, list certified systems on its website and encourage institutions to adopt them. It will also encourage large hospitals and others to switch from on-premises systems to cloud-based ones. The ministry also plans to partially subsidize expenses for introducing the systems. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
