#Japan #Fuchu #Kids Public #Fuchu City #Child Policy

Kids Public's Impact on Child-Rearing Consultations in Fuchu City

In a groundbreaking initiative, Kids Public, a company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, has developed and launched the 'Everyone's Consultation Search' database, aimed at reducing the burdensome workload of health nurses while enhancing their specialty skills. This project is part of the children and family agency's Digital Transformation (DX) Model Project, implemented in Fuchu City, under the leadership of Mayor Ritsuo Takano. The goal is to provide effective responses to the increasing challenges related to parenting consultations and the acquisition of specialized knowledge among health nurses.

Current State and Challenges in Child-Rearing Support

Fuchu City, like many municipalities across Japan, has observed an increase in the complexity and diversity of anxiety and consultation requests related to child-rearing. For health nurses, this means managing consultation cases with medical implications while also keeping abreast of the latest information and providing on-the-job training to less experienced staff—an overwhelming challenge. The government has committed to promoting DX in child policy, making it imperative to establish a high-quality, efficient consultation response system.

Implementation: Providing the Search Database

To overcome these challenges, Kids Public offered access to the 'Everyone's Consultation Search' database, where health nurses can search and review thousands of real consultation cases, answered by obstetricians, pediatricians, and midwives. This grant to Fuchu City is part of the government's children policy DX model initiative, enabling health nurses to quickly access reliable information based on expert opinions.

Additionally, this resource offers citizens the ability to seek expert advice without aimlessly scouring the internet, enhancing the overall consultation experience.

Benefits for Health Nurses

During the pilot phase from October 2023 to January 2024, an evaluation survey conducted with health nurses revealed substantial positive outcomes:

• - Skill Enhancement: Seventy-five percent of health nurses reported that they gained insights into cases they hadn't previously handled and learned different approaches. This led to an improvement in their ability to respond to consultations requiring medical knowledge.

• - Reducing Workload: Sixty-two point five percent of nurses found the tool effective in easing their consultation duties, citing it as a relief in terms of developing response strategies and reducing anxiety in uncertain cases.

• - Boosting Confidence: Twenty-five percent stated they felt more confident in their responses due to the ability to review prior cases.

• - Quality Improvement: A comparison between groups of health nurses using the tool and those not using it indicated greater effectiveness in multiple areas of consultation response.

• - Efficient Information Gathering: The dependency on consultation with colleagues dropped from 100% to 81.8%, leading to a more streamlined and efficient information-gathering process.

• - Expectations for Future: There is optimism that as the tool becomes more integrated into daily practices, it will facilitate smoother responses to resident inquiries and enhance training for new health nurses.

Positive Feedback from the Citizens

The introduction of this tool has been equally beneficial for Fuchu residents. An anonymous survey of 90 citizens, with 45 having used the tool, contributed to the following insights:

• - High Satisfaction and Continued Use: Among users, 75.6% noted changes in their anxiety or concerns and expressed a desire to continue using the service.

• - Time Savings: Users reported an average reduction of 47 minutes per week in search time for child-rearing and pregnancy information, indicating a significant improvement in efficiency.

• - Limiting Unnecessary Consultations: The tool encouraged users to develop self-resolution skills, potentially decreasing the need for in-person consultations or medical visits.

Future Prospects

Building upon the successful outcomes seen in Fuchu City through this initiative, Kids Public is confident that the 'Everyone's Consultation Search' will significantly alleviate the burdens on health nurses, enhance their expertise, and improve the quality of child-rearing support may be replicated across other municipalities. Further development and feature enhancements are underway to facilitate and accelerate this digital transformation. Fuchu City aims to continue promoting awareness among residents and ensure the integration of this tool into regular practice, thereby dedicating the time saved to families in need of support.

About Fuchu City

Located almost centrally in Tokyo, Fuchu City is rich in lush greenery and historical culture, striving towards creating a 'child-centered society' while supporting child-rearing initiatives. With an area of 29.43 square kilometers and a population of 260,758 as of April 1, 2024, the city emphasizes the importance of provision to its residents.

About Kids Public Inc.

Founded in 2015 under the mission to eliminate isolation in child-rearing, Kids Public offers various online services addressing children's health and parenting. The primary service, 'Online Obstetrics' and 'Online Pediatrics', is currently operational in 185 municipalities nationwide, having managed over 200,000 consultations to date.

For more details, please visit Kids Public’s website.

Contact

Kids Public Inc. Public Relations Office
Contact: Haruyama
Address: 11-8 Kanda, Bitocho, Chiyoda, Tokyo 5F
Phone: 03-6774-7937
Email: marketing@kids-public.co.jp
Established: December 28, 2015
CEO: Naoya Hashimoto (Pediatrician)
Company Mission: To create a society where no one is isolated in child-rearing through internet-based support.