Project News

S-TOP project held the Japan training with the "Introduction of Intermediate Care and Seamless Care Service" in Aichi and Nagano prefecture from the 14th until the 25th of January 2019. The participants are mainly Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) doctors, nurses, physical therapists whom are engaged in treatment at acute phase, sub-acute phase and recovery phase in 7 pilot sites. A director of a community hospital whom is a leader in pioneering Intermediate Care (IMC)^[1] in Thailand also joined.

Through the lectures and observations at acute hospitals, recovery hospitals, and various community-based services including home visits and day care services, they learned Japan's IMC and Seamless Care service and the participants discussed actively among each other on how to apply them to the Thai context. This is especially on achieving a patient-centered approach in both medical and non-medical services. The participants understood the three points that are important for patient-centered approach which are team approach, cooperation between hospitals and relevant institutions, and informed consent including setting rehabilitation goal together with patients and/or service users and their family. We are expected to see these points utilized into activities in each site from now on, and we will follow up predominantly in these points in the sites.

On the other hand, the participants also faced difficulty to adopt some realistic lessons into the context of Thailand. These are detailed management in national health insurance and Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance, importance of care manager and its capacity, and the necessity of monetary obligation by patients and/or service users.

Moreover, many participants openly showed their expectations that the national government would understand the necessity of securing the budget for human resource development and seamless care. We consider working on a long-term strategy through discussion with the Thai government and with people in the pilot sites in Thailand.

Lecture by Mr. Nakamura, JICA Senior Advisor on Social Security

Review and Group Work

Lecture at Acute Hospital

Visiting Rehabilitation Room in Acute Hospital

Training on Artificial Limb at Rehabilitation Hospital

Learning the roles of Rehabilitation Nurse

Experiencing activities of Health Promotion by Saku City Municipality

Having a friendly talk with Thai lady who receives rehabilitation

Joining Home Visit by PM&R Doctor and Nurse