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infrastructures. Nonetheless, many of the existing
services are often provided with specifications
unique to each service provider, making it difficult
or even impossible to integrate them with existing
social infrastructures. Therefore, it is essential
to develop a scheme that incorporates different
services and infrastructures without boundaries
of specifications.
Traditionally, many services were provided by
locally connecting computers. However, with the
rapid and widespread diffusion of the Internet,
the demand for integration remotely or globally
has increased. Consequently, there emerges an
increasing need for the development of technolo-
gies that incorporate different systems. However,
implementing the same technology used for con-
necting computers locally into a system connecting
computers globally is costly and time consuming.
The social infrastructure is a wide concept, and it
includes so many various entities. Today, not only
information and communications technologies
(ICT) including broadband networks and mobile
phones but also the logistics and sales systems
are prevailed as social infrastructures. Nonethe-
less, there are still few models that transcend the
difference of business types and industries, and
connect them altogether to provide a new service.
For the demonstration experiment, we selected
the Business to Consumer (B to C) model. The
model we built aims to utilize different social in-
frastructures, and coordinates with other services
regardless of their business types and industries
to offer convenient and effective services for us-
ers. We developed the Web Service that provides
user-centric services as well as the authentica-
tion system essential for coordinating different
systems. However, the current condition with
advancing medical technology, deficit opera-
tion of medical institutions', and lack of doctors
makes it nearly impossible to respond a variety
of medical and healthcare needs of people. This
issue is especially serious in countryside areas
hence optimization of management resources for
healthcare and medical services is very much in
need. As a strategic solution for this issue, we
propose creation of a cooperation network among
municipalities, hospitals and clinics, nutrition
counseling centers, corporations, and university
research centers.
bAckground of this studY
With the rapid aging of population, Japan has the
world's highest longevity rate today. As a result,
a reform of the conventional healthcare at hos-
pitals is required. That is, building a cooperative
structure with related organizations, institutions,
and citizens is strongly required to establish a
total lifetime healthcare not only for sick people
but also for healthy people to swiftly respond and
figure out the medical, healthcare, and welfare
needs of all the citizens. Conventionally, medical
care has functioned specifically to diagnose and
treat illness. Nonetheless, today's scope of medi-
cal care is required to include health maintenance
and promotion, prevention of disease and early
detection, early diagnosis and treatment, and
elderly care. Furthermore, people have become
more conscious about not only cure but also
care to live a healthy life. It has long been dif-
ficult for patients and citizens to access a variety
of information including insurance, illness, and
treatment that are essential to choose appropriate
medical institutions and receive proper treatment.
Especially in countryside areas far from urban
cities, there are much less medical resources such
as healthcare centers and medical institutions.
From the perspectives of total optimization
for medical and healthcare needs of people, it is
essential to take a citizen-centric, patient-oriented
approach to determine the appropriateness of func-
tions and locations of medical institutions from
the viewpoint of residents(Ohashi,edi,2005). In
addition, it is highly important to create a coopera-
tive network among not only medical institutions
including hospitals and clinics but also among
municipalities, corporations dealing with food,
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