| Theme |
How Should We Step up the Future Dialysis Therapy in Japan ? |
| Title |
Prospects of private hospital for dialysis therapy |
| Author |
Tomoyuki Yamakawa |
Kidney Center, Shirasagi Hospital |
| [ Summary ] |
A considerable number of private hospitals providing dialysis therapy are financially dependent on the profits from their outpatient dialysis departments. As a result, biennial revisions of medical expense reimbursements have brought these hospitals to a financial crisis. In respect to the Medical Care Act（revised in 2006）which stressed the importance of specialization and made alignments in medical service supplies, private hospitals which provide dialysis should expand their functions as providers of care for chronic kidney disease. To enhance their competitiveness, private hospitals providing dialysis have two options. One is differentiation strategy. The other is medial service area enlargement strategy. Either option makes no difference in importance of consideration toward patient’s view point. |