The government's Board of Audit reported earlier this month that a significant portion of some 120 million sets of data from annual checkups, screenings and consultations overseen by the health ministry have gone largely unanalyzed, wasting precious data that could be used to improve the nation's health. After setting up a system to accumulate and analyze data on a range of public health issues, the subsequent analysis of the data was stymied by inconsistencies in computer input and encrypted forms, according to the report.
Proper analysis of all this as-yet-unused data is crucial to maintain Japan's high level of medical care.
The system of collecting information was set up in fiscal 2008 to promote research in particular into lifestyle diseases such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes, which had been increasing in recent years. The long-term economic cost of this failure to examine the data means that individuals will not receive the best care possible and that future treatment costs may increase.