| Theme | Innovation of Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) -- What points should be changed ? | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | RRT innovations from a policy-making perspective | |
| Publish Date | 2008/06 | |
| Author | Eiji Hinoshita | Specific Disease Control Division, Health Service Bureau, Ministiy of Health, Labour and Welfare |
| [ Summary ] | The number of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who have undergone hemo-dialysis (HD) has increased in Japan. ESRD is the 8th most common cause of death in Japan. Moreover, the total expenditures for HD for ESRD patients in Japan is about 130 billion yen. Therefore, ESDR is one of the most serious health problems in Japan, particularly in terms of medical expenditures. Recently, the condition termed “chronic kidney disease (CKD)” has been introduced into clinical practice methodology. Japan has started to implement policies to control the increase in the number of ESDR patients. Other countries have put countermeasures in place for CKD prevention and treatment and have reported success in controlling increases in the number of ESDR patients. At the present time, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has begun a strategic study concerning the control of increased numbers of ESDR patients. It has been discussing policies to control increases in the number of CKD patients. Effective policy decisions for CKD are expected to decrease the number of the EDSR patients in Japan. |
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