Keio Research Institute at SFC

* This laboratory has been completed.

Objectives

Some time has passed since preventative care, as part of overall healthcare, was named as one of modern medicine’s most important issues. Recently there has been a noted increase in the number of patients presenting with unidentified clinical syndromes, pre-sickness, and lifestyle diseases, all thought to be caused by changes in lifestyle and the environment. However, it is difficult to provide solutions for such illnesses when using the constraints of Western medicine, as it requires a definitive diagnosis prior to treatment. Moreover, although the social need for preventative medicine has existed, it has been left behind as no clear methodology has been established as of yet. This consortium will integrate the methodologies of Japan’s traditional Chinese herbal medicine (Kampo) and Western medicine and, by merging this with an IT system, effectively utilize archived health and medical information of users so as to develop a pre-sickness diagnosis support system aimed at medical services, and a self-medication support system for general users. The consortium will then demonstrate and verify the benefits of such systems.
While Kampo medicine has its roots in Chinese herbal medicine, it evolved in Japan to become Japan’s own traditional medicine. A four-step diagnostic procedure (Looking – including tongue examination, Listening and Smelling, Asking, and Touching – including pulse diagnosis) is used to diagnose the Sho or pattern of a person’s constitution, and health guidance and herbal medicines are then used to improve the overall constitution of the person. As the aim is to improve the overall constitution of the patient, rather than only the symptoms, it can be used with patients presenting with pre-sickness, unidentified clinical syndromes and chronic disorders, all conditions seen increasingly more in modern man. One of the characteristics of Kampo medicines is that as they are derived from herbs and natural products, they are more readily accepted by patients as they have less side-effects when compared to western-style medicines. There is growing scientific evidence of the efficacy of Kampo and it is one of Japan’s strengths that Kampo is being merged and used with western medicine.
Kampo methodology will be standardized and then, based on vital data collected from pre-sickness patients, using the latest diagnostic imaging and medical sensing technologies, subjective data (interview data) and objective data (tongue examination and pulse diagnosis), diagnostic algorithms will be developed. At the same time, each diagnostic algorithm will be stored in an integrated database and diagnostic results and objective data will be used to generate a time-based treatment efficacy prediction model in order to further promote the accuracy of the diagnostic algorithms.

Outline of Research Activity Plan (First Year)

A. Launch a Kampo diagnosis support tool at medical institutions:
Methodology will be developed so as to provide a Kampo diagnosis support tool (a support tool to be used to select the most appropriate herbal medicines based on a diagnostic interview, tongue examination and pulse diagnosis, all observations of the patient’s constitution) to medical institutions and physicians that have the opportunity to prescribe herbal medicine.

B. Teaching clinic for overseas health service providers:
A learning system will be developed to provide physicians from western countries, where there is a strong demand for Chinese herbal medicine, with Kampo diagnostic methodology, including diagnostic methods utilizing the diagnosis support system tool, along with developmental support which would include business and funding skills required when opening a Kampo clinic.

C. Launch a Kampo herbal medicine selection support tool for pharmacies:
A method will be developed so as to provide pharmacies and pharmacists with a tool to support appropriate Kampo selection.

Researchers, managers and professors