`` Women (​ ​Female​ ​) '' And `` Technology (​ ​Technology​ ​) ''​ ​FemTech​ ​(Femtec) is a term that refers to various services related to women's health. For example, menstruation, pregnancy to child rearing, body changes due to childbirth and menopause, sexual health, medical and fashion. The amount of investment is also increasing year by year.​ ​2020​ ​About global in a year​ ​13​ ​Billion dollars (about​ ​1400​ ​100 million yen).

While the volume and breadth of services are expanding overseas due to such trends, there are still few cases and many problems in Japan.​ ​pilot boat​ ​For sharing information about Femtec​ ​Facebook​ ​group"​ ​FemTech Insight​ ​In addition to running the event.​ ​Three​ ​This time will be "Online​ ​× Women's health​ ​”To provide women ’s health services online​ ​2​ ​The company gathered.

First in the event​ ​pilot boat​ ​Notomi​ ​CEO​ ​Is current​ ​Femtec​ ​Introducing examples. The slides for the day are published below.

Issues that prevent the spread of pills in Japan, pointed out by “Sarena of Are”

Out of this gathering​ ​1​ ​, Next Innovation Co., Ltd. is mainly concerned about menstruation and contraception​ ​Ten​ ​~​ ​40​ ​A platform that connects teenage women and medical professionals such as doctors, pharmacists, and nurses​ ​Smarna​ ​”. Users can consult and consult online, low-dose pills, medium-dose pills after pills​ ​(​ ​Emergency contraceptives​ ​)​ ​Purchase from prescriptions and regular flights (subscription) are also available.​ ​2018​ ​Year​ ​6​ ​The service started in January and is currently about​ ​Four​ ​Ten million users (as of September 2019) are now using it.

1978年埼玉県出身。2001年帝京大学薬学部卒。2013年関西学院大学専門職大学院卒。薬剤師、MBA。外資系製薬会社のスペシャリティ事業部での経験をもとに、オンライン診察の作り出す可能性を確信し2016年にネクストイノベーション（株）を創立。（実はネクイノの2代目社長だったりする）ちなみに社名はフジテレビ系ドラマ「リッチマン・プアウーマン」よりいただきました。Twitter: @kenichi141

Kenichi Ishii's representative director​ ​30​ ​Of the million doctors, obstetricians and gynecologists​ ​Three​ ​%​ ​1​ ​He points out that there are only 10,000 people, and nearly half of them are not working full time. That is just​ ​-6,0000​ ​A medical doctor is examining pregnancy and childbirth, gynecological cancer, infertility treatment, etc. of all women in Japan. On the other hand, only in 2017​ ​16​ ​Ten thousand​ ​8015​ ​Abortion surgery was performed. That is​ ​Three​ ​In minutes​ ​1​ ​It is the calculation that abortion operation is performed. According to a survey by a pharmaceutical company, the number of cases of unexpected pregnancy even if not abortion is estimated annually.​ ​61​ ​It is said that there are many cases.

Mr. Ishii also mentioned that there are many people who gather information on the Internet because the content related to gender is not easy to talk about. Consultation in obstetrics and gynecology is also a psychological hurdle, and its congestion is a major issue in urban areas. And the penetration rate of low-dose pills in Japan is only​ ​Four​ ​%. With this alone, you can see how many challenges are sleeping for Japanese women.

In Japan, the use of pills is often discussed in relation to issues such as the declining birthrate, but Ishii says that the birth rate is often higher in countries where pills are popular, such as France.

With Smarna, users can access the pharmacist free of charge and can consult the pill in a timely manner. Electronic medical records​ ​1​ ​It is created for each user, and there is no hassle to ask for a past visit or medications for the second and subsequent uses. However, “I don't intend to end with a pill subscription,” said Ishii. He talked about creating a community where people with the same problems gathered and other ideas in order to be close to the lifestyle of women.

From menstruation to after childbirth, it seems to be close to women's suffering “Obstetrics and Gynecology Online”

Already at the event​ ​1​ ​Company​ ​Obstetrics and gynecology online​ ​To expand​ ​Kids public​ ​. “Obstetrics and Gynecology Online” is a service that allows you to easily consult with your obstetrician and gynecologists and midwives throughout the country about questions and concerns about your physical condition. Neighboring concerns such as the concerns before the hospital visit, whether you should have a visit, or troubles that you might not hear at the hospital. Consultation is done online, so you can use it from overseas. Most users are contracted by groups such as companies, local governments, and schools.

2010年に日本医科大学を卒業。その後、産婦人科医として関東圏の大学病院や総合病院、産院で勤務。2018年1月より株式会社Kids Publicに参画し、妊産婦や女性一般の悩みに対応する遠隔健康医療相談「産婦人科オンライン」の代表を務めている。他に、東京大学大学院での研究活動や、子宮頸がんの検診・予防法や性教育に関する講演なども行なっている。

It is often said that "birth is a life",​ ​Kids public​ ​According to Dr. Daisuke Shigemi of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the cause of death related to pregnancy and childbirth is actually​ ​1​ ​The place is said to be suicide. During pregnancy​ ​7​ ​% Of the people​ ​15​ ​Because as many as% develop depressive symptoms. This is a problem that affects not only the person but also children and families. It is said that continuous care before and after childbirth can be one of the means to solve this.

Shigemi said there are also many problems with menstrual pain. Women with menstrual pain​ ​80​ ​%​ ​30​ ​Percentage analgesics are needed. The risk of endometriosis in people with menstrual pain is​ ​2.6​ ​Doubled. Furthermore, cervical cancer is one of the major issues addressed by women's health, but in Japan, 10,000 people are affected every year.​ ​3000​ ​The person has died.

Sex education is also an issue, but there is not much progress in Japan. Education is not the only cause, but annual​ ​16​ ​If there are 10,000 abortions and if high school students become pregnant, about​ ​90​ ​% Will voluntarily drop out. None of them is a big social problem, but too much progress.

To solve many problems related to obstetrics and gynecology, there are too many problems such as continuous support after prenatal and postpartum and usual health care, which cannot be solved by hospitals alone. However, there are cases where it can be solved by providing information or mentally cuddling without going to the hospital, and it is the obstetrics and gynecology department online that can handle such cases online.

Japan is still​ ​Femtec​ ​What is needed to spread

What should be done in the future with various issues in Japan, and what are the issues? This is the talk session​ ​2​ ​The company had a discussion.

Do you feel the rise of Femtec in Japan at the moment? (Bold is the moderator, and so on)

Shiomi:​ ​To be honest, I feel that Femtec is still not exciting in Japan. Some overseas, for example, are making aggressive products, such as testing only with menstrual blood. There seems to be few such examples in Japan.

Ishii:​ ​Although the pill field feels like a tailwind, Femtec has not yet gained recognition. There are legal issues regarding online medical care, so there is only a headwind (laughs). After-pill online medical discussion this year​ ​1​ ​It starts from the moon.

Shiomi:​ ​In online medical discussions, a gynecology teacher (representative of an academic society / medical society) was called at the review meeting, but the direction of the teachers began to be more restrictive from the beginning. Isn't it dangerous for teachers from other departments to give after-pills? It was also a discussion. Personally, I think it is more important to have a solid system than who will prescribe. It is said that not only Femtec but also the online medical care system itself is still used in dozens of cases in Japan. I think the spread is still in the future.

What will be the challenge to boost Femtec in Japan?

Ishii:​ ​I'm doing Hayakawa Gomi​ ​Illuminated (​ ​illuminate​ ​)​ ​"I think that the service that flows from analog to online will spread first. Many women buy sanitary products, so sanitary subscriptions seem to be accepted without a sense of incompatibility. However, online medical care is difficult because it connects things that are not in everyday life (medical examination). I think that when services such as “Illuminate” penetrate the general public, various things will come out.

It means that it is a little before online medical treatment.

Shiomi:​ ​The fact that the business side was originally good for the first time became popular, the doctor group cannot be crushed unless there is a problem. If we follow our needs, it will become a form that society recognizes. Of course, you can't go against the law.

フェム「テック」だけど、テクノロジーだけでは駄目？ ユーザ視点をどう導入するか

Is there any difficulty in targeting “female”?

Shiomi:​ ​I can't say anything, but I think that there are fewer people who can solve everything with rationality than men. For example, instead of just telling the solution and the reason, you may be told that you are "relieved" by feeling caring there. I feel that technology alone cannot solve it. Therefore, even if an excellent teacher sees you at a hospital, you may not be relieved. There is a way unique to online medical care, and the medical staff should learn it properly. In chat​ ​Three​ ​Even if you send the sentence on the line as "This is all right", it will not be transmitted to the other party.

Ishii:​ ​Next Innovation has a service called “Smaruna Pharmacist”, but there is no reply even if only medically correct is returned. But there is a reply when a woman contacts. It may be that you can feel caring or feel the presence of people, so the front end is designed by women and the back end (business side) has men in the operation system .

The menstrual day and pill alarm settings are very cumbersome. In order to experience it, we downloaded and used the menstrual day management app, including men. I realized that I felt disliked when travel and menstruation overlap (laughs). Rather than being male and female, it is more important to stand from the user's perspective.

Shiomi:​ ​Even with the same person who is pregnant or after birth, the rhythm of life varies considerably from person to person. For example,​ ​Three​ ​Even if a child within a month says "I always get up at night"​ ​10-15​ ​Some people end up breastfeeding in minutes,​ ​1​ ​Some people take longer. It is very important to stand from the user's perspective.

Ishii:​ ​In addition, Smarna tells doctors to “never get angry” in that they stand from the user's perspective. There are people who often write on Twitter, such as “Preached in obstetrics and gynecology”, but I am careful so that consulting does not become a scary experience.

Obstetrics and gynecology = isn't it a bad experience?

Ishii:​ ​I agree. I often see Twitter, but there are other things that I care about. Many people write that "Pills are taken for menstrual pain." I don't need to write that. There seems to have been a question about a person who is taking a pill during this time in a Japanese high school. What is wrong with taking a pill?

Shiomi:​ ​Even after giving birth, there are cases where mothers take pills for reasons of physical condition or to avoid getting pregnant for a while, but there are people who care about their surrounding eyes. I feel that the mental and physical hurdles to using pills are great in Japan. In Europe and the United States, contraceptives and pills may be distributed free of charge at universities, or doctors may come to schools to prescribe.

Ishii:​ ​In North America, I have to go to a doctor. Some countries can buy in convenience stores in Vietnam and Thailand. Pill​ ​300​ ​About a yen. If you have a medical fee in Japan​ ​2000​ ​~​ ​3000​ ​Because it ’s about a circle,​ ​Ten​ ​It's almost double the price, so it's difficult to access both in terms of location and price.

Did you have any unexpected needs you noticed when you first started the service?

Shiomi:
​ ​Our service is “consultation” rather than medical treatment (diagnosis and prescription of medicine), and we want to care for parts that cannot be solved by medicine. I felt the first time I started the service to see if there are people who are so worried about mental health since the first month after childbirth. People at such times were surprised because there was little opportunity to come to the hospital.

Ishii:
​ ​First innovation started first​ ​ED​ ​It was a service for men called “smart checkup” that gives drugs for thinning hair. Same as it is​ ​UX​ ​I started Smarna for women, so I think it was difficult to use at that time, but there were many people who could use it even after overcoming hurdles because the needs were high. They may also contact you with a detailed message saying “Pill has arrived”.

Shiomi:
​ ​There are various tools (chat, voice call, video phone) that can be used online in obstetrics and gynecology.​ ​1​ ​It was less than expected, less than%. Half are chats and the rest are voice-only calls. However, this may be because there are problems such as makeup because there are many people who use it at night.

On the other hand, in kids public,​ ​Pediatric online​ ​”Is also deployed, this is 1-​ ​2​ ​About 20% are videophones. I think it is because I want to consult with my child's face. It was an interesting discovery that the proportion of tools changed depending on the department.

Legal, personnel resources, user contacts ... how can the service be expanded?

Please tell us about the issues you feel in response to legal and user requests.

Ishii:
​ ​Our service is inseparable from the interpretation of the law. There are guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and these guidelines and services do not necessarily match.

We are trying to make a regulation from the viewpoint of scientific grounds and rationality, and it's not illegal, but it gets stuck in "rules". If this rule becomes something like an online medical examination method, it may be illegal.

Shiomi:
​ ​If the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare online changes the boundaries of “rules”, the contents of what can be done at once may change.

Ishii:
​ ​The guidelines are not legally binding, so if you have a doctor who doesn't follow them, you won't get angry.

In Japan, medical care is insurance. In the case of free medical care, we do not pay money from insurance, so it should be in the form of contract between the parties unless it is illegal.

Shigemi:
​ ​In the US, medical insurance by the government is not enough, and we are trying to introduce advanced medical care led by companies. On the other hand, British medicine​ ​100​ ​Although it is government-controlled with% tax, the government is trying to spread technology with companies. That is the difference from Japan.

At the end of the talk session, hot questions from various people such as Femtec affiliates and media gathered at the venue.

In the first place I think that there are few obstetricians and gynecologists, but who is working in obstetrics and gynecology online? (Bold is the questioner, the same below)

Shigemi:
​ ​Some people work on maternity and gynecology online after night work or after work, but there are many female doctors and midwives who are unable to return fully after childbirth. We believe that the ability to provide value online by highly experienced and knowledgeable people can lead to the potential utilization of human resources simply because there are high hurdles for returning to hospitals with children.

How do you have contact with users?

Ishii:
​ ​Of course SEO,​ ​In combination with the menstrual day prediction app, it recommends when the menstruation approaches. And thankfully Twitter, every day someone asks about Smarna and there is an influx from there. We are preparing new measures for user contacts.

Shiomi:
​ ​Gynecology Online is a different model,​ ​toC is less than 1% of the total, most are​ ​It is deployed in partnership with companies, local governments, hospitals and schools. This makes it possible for users to consult for free.

Finally, meet up and the event ends. Run as a pioneer in Japan​ ​2​ ​It was a time to notice the magnitude of public expectations and the size of the issues.

As Mr. Ishii of Next Innovation and Mr. Shigemi of kids public said, there are still many issues regarding the spread of Femtec. In this FemTech Insight, among them, “pill” and “gynecology” were put on the stage of “online” services that are already offline solutions.

At Femtec, unless you are a research and development system, many services will be developed “online”. I thought that there was a lot to learn from Smarna, the pioneer of Japanese Femtec x Online, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology online. (Pemboat Notomi sponsored by FemTech Insight)

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