National Centre for Medical Information Dissemination Infrastructure Development Project

Abstract

The National Center (NC) has a mission to "Collect, organize, and evaluate knowledge related to diseases handled by domestic and international centers, and enhance the provision of information for the public and medical institutions by using websites and other means, ensuring that scientifically-based information on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is accessible to the public. " Each information dissemination department within NC has continued its efforts in medical information dissemination.

Examples of initiatives undertaken by the six National Centers (6NC) include the Cancer Information Service of the National Cancer Center, the Cardiovascular Disease Information Center of the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, the National Information Center of Stress and Disaster Mental Health of the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, the Center for Maternal Medication Information of the National Center for Child Health and Development, information dissemination on dementia and aging-related issues by the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, and various initiatives by the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, such as the AIDS Clinical Center, the AMR Clinical Reference Center, and the Diabetes Information Center.

With the widespread use of social media, the overabundance of information, also called "infodemic," has become a social issue, increasing the need for effective communication between citizens, government, and experts. In Western countries, cross-disease initiatives led by public organizations such as the U.S. CDC and the UK NHS aim to promote reliability, accessibility, and public engagement in medical information. However, Japan lacks a public institution that fulfills such a role. In light of the pandemic and the ongoing development of the Japanese CDC concept, it is an urgent priority to establish and strengthen a foundation that delivers accurate medical information to the public promptly and promotes appropriate information usage.

This research aims to assess and analyze the current state of medical information dissemination across various disease specialties and to undertake cross-disease initiatives that enable the dissemination of high-quality medical information.

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Perspectives

• Understanding the current state of medical information dissemination by 6NC
  By assessing 6NC's current efforts in medical information dissemination and identifying challenges, we can contribute to allocating human and financial resources effectively.
• Developing tools to assess the reliability and accessibility of medical information
  To ensure the reliability and usability of information, we will establish standards and develop a checklist to help maintain and improve the quality of medical information disseminated by 6NC.
• Policy recommendations for the dissemination of medical information by public institutions
  By organizing critical issues related to public medical information dissemination in Japan, we aim to contribute to regular health communication by the government and municipalities and risk communication during emergencies.
• Developing human resources and establishing an international cooperation framework for health communication
  We will actively develop human resources for health communication within and beyond 6NC while creating opportunities for international collaboration, thereby contributing to the strengthening and sustainability of the 6NC medical information dissemination framework.

Comments from principal researcher

Noriko Ihana-Sugiyama
National Center for Global Health and Medicine
Diabetes and Metabolism Information Center

We have been creatively disseminating information online within each department of NC, leveraging the expertise of disease specialists. However, as a public medical information dissemination organization, we have lacked a shared vision and established standards to ensure the quality of the information. With this initiative, we aim to build a foundation for cross-disease medical information dissemination, making the information we provide more comprehensible and trustworthy for the public, thereby contributing to the improvement of public health in Japan.

Shared Researchers

National Cancer Center

Division of Cancer Information Service, Institute for Cancer Control
Ayako Ishikawa, Yumiko Saito, Fumika Horinuki, Chikako Yamaki

National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center

Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology
Kunihiro Nishimura, Kiyomasa Nakatsuka

National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

Department of Behavioral Medicine
Asami Ohnuma

National Center for Global Health and Medicine

Division of Training in Liver Diseases, Hepatitis Information Center, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology
Masaaki Korenaga

AMR Clinical Reference Center
Yumiko Fujitomo

Diabetes and Metabolism Information Center
Mitsuru Ohsugi

National Center for Child Health and Development, Integrated Center for Women's　Health, Japan Drug Information Institute in Pregnancy

Center for Maternal Medication Information
Mikako Goto, Izumi Fujioka

National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology

Innovation Center for Translational Research
Keisuke Suzuki