"It would be a problem if
the health insurance card was abolished."
"It would be convenient if one card was enough ."
When it flowed, pros and cons arose on SNS.
My number card, how is it used in medical settings that have already been introduced?
On the other hand, what is the actual situation in the field where usage and introduction are not progressing?
At hospitals that have introduced the Minor Health Insurance Card
The number of users is gradually increasing at hospitals that have introduced the system early on and have actively encouraged its use.
A card reader with face authentication is installed at the window of "Nihonkai General Hospital" in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, where equipment was introduced in February last year.
If you put your My Number card here so that you can see your face, your identity will be automatically verified by matching it with the photo of your face on the card.
Then, if you choose whether or not to agree to provide the results of past specific medical examinations and information on medicines to the medical institution, you can complete the application.
Instead of facial recognition, you can also verify your identity with a PIN.
When I called out to a woman who was accepting medical examinations using my number card.
80-year-old woman
"I used my number card for the first time after getting it, but it was easy. I tend to forget my PIN, but I'm glad I have face recognition.
" The day is the first time.
She said that when she had forgotten her PIN and was in trouble, it was easy to confirm her identity with face recognition.
In the hospital, a city office is regularly set up to accept applications for My Number cards, and on the 12th of this month, when I interviewed, patients visited one after another and applied for cards after receiving explanations.
When I asked a 73-year-old man who came to apply for a card.
73-year-old man
“I came to apply after hearing the news that health insurance cards will eventually be unified. I think it would be better to have just one card rather than having multiple cards, but I would like security to be tighter.”
It was an opinion that the management of personal information centralized by My Number Card should be strictly managed.
The hospital actively encourages the use of the card by providing information on the digital bulletin board in the hospital and confirming the use of the card at the counter. , It means that there are more than 10 cases a day from the beginning of this month.
Takao Shimanuki, Director of the Hospital
“We are proactively adopting this system because it is a very convenient system that leads to the efficiency of hospital operations and allows patients to participate in medical care. I would like to proceed and have patients recognize the significance and use it.”
About 30% of installations nationwide Some sites are not used even after introduction
On the other hand, as of the 2nd of this month, only 33.5% of all medical institutions and pharmacies nationwide have introduced the equipment necessary to use the My Number card as an insurance card and have started operation. .
Some medical institutions have pointed out problems such as the fact that there are no patients who use the equipment even though they have installed it, or that it is difficult to understand the benefits of introducing the equipment.
Of these, a clinic in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, introduced a system for using a card reader about five months ago, but it has never been used by patients.
A 72-year-old man who visited a doctor said,
"I haven't made a My Number card yet because I don't really know what the benefits are. I didn't even know that the card could be used at medical institutions. It would be better to let the elderly know about it."
Doctors at clinics feel that using My Number cards is beneficial for patients themselves, such as being able to check past drug information, but they point out that patients are not well informed.
Hajime Memezawa Hospital Director Hajime Memezawa
"If a patient has a health insurance card, they will be told that they can apply with it and that they do not need to use it. Online medical information is important, so we want to promote its spread, but it is quite difficult. It's the current situation."
Medical institutions worry about costs and patient data sharing
In addition, clinics in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, which have not introduced the system, point out cost issues and are concerned about sharing patient data.
In the case of clinics, the government provides one card reader free of charge and has established a subsidy system for the cost of system renovation, etc. It means that there were cases that exceeded the amount of assistance, including.
Furthermore, with the system renovation, there are many uncertainties about how far the electronic medical record data, which has been managed only within the hospital, will be shared in the future.
In order to promote the use of My Number cards, the government has announced a policy to oblige medical institutions and other institutions to introduce the necessary system from April next year, but it is difficult for doctors at clinics to accept the system as they are not convinced. I'm talking to
Akira Yoshida, Director of Yoshida Internal Medicine Clinic
"With the recent corona epidemic, I'm full of daily work, and to be honest, I'm not ready at all. I feel it."
"Carefully explain the country"
What kind of response will be required in the future as voices pointing out issues arise?
We interviewed Ryuichi Yamamoto, Chairman of the Medical Information System Development Center, which conducts research and development related to medical information.
"Medical expenses are required to provide better medical care, so this system, which is an important foundation for promoting efficiency, is very significant. On the other hand, in the transition period, when the number of card users is small, benefits can be seen. It's hard to see, but I think people will become aware of it once they use it a certain number, so I'd like them to take a long-term view.
" There are situations in which it is difficult to increase the number of jobs in a small situation, and simply asking for the introduction of the system in front of us will cause a backlash, so the government should carefully explain the significance of maintaining the sustainability of medical care and increasing efficiency. We need to understand.”