#Japan #Machida #Kids Public #PMH

Introduction to PMH in School Health

In a groundbreaking initiative led by Kids Public, the city of Machida, Tokyo, is taking significant steps towards digital transformation in school health management through a project known as the 'School Health DX.' This venture, supported by Public Medical Hub (PMH) technology, aims to enhance efficiency by eliminating the cumbersome paper formats traditionally utilized in schools for health-related processes.

Background of the Initiative

The current landscape of school health management is dominated by manual paperwork, which includes handwritten health surveys and the distribution and collection of health check-up recommendations. This reliance on paper not only increases administrative burdens for educational institutions but also adds to the workload of parents while hindering effective communication with healthcare providers. To address these pressing issues, the city of Machida has embarked on a trial to test the efficacy of the PMH-Web prototype, designed to facilitate collaboration with various systems including school administrative support, healthcare facilities, and the My Number Portal. The ultimate goal is to streamline these processes and verify their effectiveness for full-scale implementation starting in the fiscal year 2026.

Role of Kids Public

Kids Public, which operates services like Pediatric Online, plays a crucial role in this initiative by providing clinical expertise. Naoya Hashimoto, a pediatric specialist and the CEO of Kids Public, has been instrumental in creating a realistic persona for trial use. This persona encompasses essential data that reflects real-world medical scenarios, including patient profiles, medical histories, and inquiry details. By ensuring that the dummy data used in the experiment mirrors actual clinical environments, Kids Public enhances the validity of the research findings.

Overview of the Experiment

The experimental phase is set to run from February to March 2026 and involves several stakeholders including school nurses from Fujinodai Elementary School and Tsurukawa Second Middle School, as well as three pediatricians from Machida Citizen Hospital. Parental involvement includes 50 representatives who will act as guardians during the trial. Key performance indicators for this project include reducing administrative workload and processing time, enhancing convenience, increasing satisfaction, and improving the quality of information shared.

Preliminary Results

Early feedback from the trial has already yielded promising outcomes:
1. For Parents: Participants reported a significant reduction in the time spent on health-related tasks, saving an average of 9 minutes and 25 seconds compared to traditional paper methods. Moreover, 79.2% of parents acknowledged a decrease in their workload, and 81.2% expressed interest in continuing to use the new system.
2. For Schools: Administrative burdens linked to issuing and distributing documents showed a staggering reduction—over a 99.9% decrease in necessary tasks. This digital transition also mitigated risks associated with students forgetting to bring documents home, parents forgetting to submit materials, and delays in collections.

About Kids Public

Founded in 2015 by pediatrician Naoya Hashimoto, Kids Public has been at the forefront of pediatric healthcare innovation in Japan. The company launched the Pediatric Online service in May 2016, followed by the Obstetric Online service in 2018. Over time, they have expanded their offerings to include various consultation services available 24/7. Their comprehensive approach has led to the management of over 300,000 online consultations and the integration of their services into more than 230 municipalities, showcasing their commitment to enhancing public health through digital technology.

Conclusion

Through initiatives like the School Health DX, supported by Kids Public's expertise in pediatric care, Machida is setting an example for how technology can be harnessed to improve health management in educational settings. By transitioning to a digital framework, the city aims to create a more efficient, accessible, and responsive healthcare system for students, parents, and educational institutions alike.