#Japan #Tokyo #Healthcare Solutions #Doctor Mate #Naoki Aoyagi

Doctor Mate Unveils Research Outcomes at the 7th Japan Home Healthcare Conference

Doctor Mate Inc., a Tokyo-based company specializing in healthcare solutions for caregiving services, showcased their research at the 7th Japan Home Healthcare Conference, held on June 14, 2025, at Dejima Messe Nagasaki. Dr. Naoki Aoyagi, the representative director and physician at Doctor Mate, presented a poster titled "The Impact of Online Medical Consultations and Nighttime On-call Services in Reducing Unnecessary Hospital Visits and Emergency Transport for Care Facilities."

This presentation provided insight into the increasing medical needs within elderly care facilities and demonstrated how Doctor Mate's online consultation and night on-call services could minimize unnecessary hospital visits and emergency transports. By sharing concrete data and case studies, the company aimed to lighten the operational and psychological burdens on facility staff.

Presentation Overview

• - Conference Name: 7th Japan Home Healthcare Conference
• - Presentation Date: June 14, 2025
• - Venue: Dejima Messe Nagasaki, 1F Event Exhibition Hall B
• - Presentation Title: The Impact of Online Medical Consultations and Nighttime On-call Services in Reducing Hospital Visits and Emergency Transport
• - Presenter: Dr. Naoki Aoyagi, CEO and Physician at Doctor Mate
• - Format: General Presentation (Poster)
• - Presentation Number: P-1-178

Presentation Content

Background

With the growing elderly population and early hospital discharge trends, care facilities like nursing homes are facing heightened medical demands. The traditional reliance on contracted physicians for on-site medical issues falls short in addressing specialized conditions and managing nighttime emergencies.

Doctor Mate's Initiatives and Results

• - Online Medical Consultation: The company offers a system enabling caregiving staff and nurses at around 600 facilities nationwide to access professional medical advice via chat, photos, and videos, available 365 days a year. Notably, 90% of the approximately 10,000 annual consultations come from issues outside the contracted physicians' expertise, including dermatology and psychiatry. Implementation of this service has shown reductions in dermatology consultations by 70% and psychiatric visits by 50% in several facilities.
• - Nighttime On-call Services: A specialized team of nurses and doctors manages nighttime calls, providing urgent assessments and guidance. Facilities using this service reported a significant decrease in emergency transports at night, with a survey conducted in collaboration with Kitakyushu city indicating that 62% of respondents felt reduced anxiety about nighttime work due to the support received.

Discussion

The findings suggest that both online medical consultations and nighttime on-call services can effectively optimize the number of visits and emergency transports in care facilities, alleviating staff's operational and psychological burdens.

Future Outlook

Moving forward, Doctor Mate will continue to gather and analyze data regarding the number of consultations, nighttime emergencies, and hospital admissions before and after implementing services. This quantitative evaluation will help improve service offerings while contributing to easing burdens in caregiving environments and enhancing the quality of healthcare collaboration.

Statement from Dr. Naoki Aoyagi

Dr. Aoyagi expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share Doctor Mate's efforts and research outcomes at the conference, emphasizing the critical need to address rising medical demands in caregiving settings. He believes that solutions leveraging ICT, such as online consultations and nighttime on-call services, have tremendous potential to enhance care quality and reduce burdens on staff. Doctor Mate will continue to listen attentively to feedback from the field and pursue evidence-based service development, striving towards a sustainable future in caregiving.

About Doctor Mate Inc.

Company Overview

• - Name: Doctor Mate Inc.
• - Representative: Dr. Naoki Aoyagi
• - Capital: 900 million JPY
• - Headquarters: 3-7-19 Higashi Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
• - Official Website: https://doctormate.co.jp/

Founded in December 2017, Doctor Mate Inc. has significantly expanded its service reach throughout Japan, now serving over 1,000 care facilities across 40 prefectures. In December 2022, they launched a medical education service for nursing staff and have plans for online psychiatric care in dementia and dermatology by August 2024.

Awards and Recognitions

• - 2019: Chiba Business Competition “Chiba Entrepreneur Award”
• - 2023: Cabinet Office, Regional Revitalization SDGs “Excellent Examples of Public-Private Partnerships”
• - 2024: Selected as one of “The 100 Exciting Ventures” by Weekly Toyo Keizai
• - 2024: Named in “100 Companies Creating Future Markets [2025 Edition]” by Nikkei Cross Trend