Research on medical collapse due to disasters and reconstructing medical systems for aging and depopulated areas

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16KT0121
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Neo-Gerontology
• Research Institution: Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Kurimasa Akihiro 東北医科薬科大学, 医学部, 教授 (80343276)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 谷口 晋一 鳥取大学, 医学部, 教授 (30304207)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-07-19 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 少子高齢化 / 医療過疎 / 東日本大震災 / 災害復興 / 訪問診療 / 過疎医療 / 救急医療 / 被災地

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, especially the Hamadori area of Fukushima prefecture, which suffered a nuclear disaster, while some residents have begun to return to its neighborhoods, many have not been back since the evacuation. This is a condition called “artificial depopulation.” After the Great East Japan Earthquake, the people of Japan faced subsequent disasters such as earthquakes and heavy rain. As a result, situations arose in which people were forced to evacuate, and depopulation progressed rapidly in the affected areas. In this study, we examined social problems related to medical care in the disaster areas in Fukushima by examining a medical system called the Nichinan system in a naturally depopulated area in Nichinan-cho, Tottori prefecture.

Free Research Field

放射線影響、地域医療、

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

福島県の原子力災害の被災地の課題に関して、これまでの過疎地の課題と同様に著効を示す特効薬はない。鳥取県日南町が30年かけて取り組んだように、今後数十年に渡る地道な取り組みが必要となるであろう。地域のコミュニティーを築き、地域づくりをする医療を行うことは、建物の箱モノを作るのとは別の意味で簡単に築き上げることができるものではない。地域の現状に応じた新たな多職種の連携と、地域住民との参画と共同が必要となっている。被災地の医療介護システムを再構築するために、復興の最中の現状の記録を残しつつ、将来に渡る医療システムの再構築を進めていく必要がある。