PRIVATE MEDICAL CENTERS IN RUSSIA AND IN JAPAN (COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION)

— 30 декабря 2013

JSC “Medic-Service” is one of the leading Russian suppliers of ultrasonic scanners and electrocardiographs for the private medical centers. Private medical centers in Russia and in Japan (Comparative investigation)

In order to understand the essence and effectiveness of the functioning of our private medical centers, the comparative complex medical examination of the staff of Medic-Service was fulfilled in the Russian and Japanese medical centers according to the aphorism “Cognition comes through comparison”. The Japanese medical center was chosen for comparison basing on the following considerations:

  • the Japanese health care system is one of the best in the world;
  • in Japan there is the high competition among the medical centers which realize about 80% of medical services;
  • Japanese medical centers have the sufficiently successful and long history of their development.

We don’t give the names of these private centers so that the comparative examination does not look like an advertisement. The comparative examination was carried out at the end of October 2013.

1. MEDICAL EQUIPMENT OF THE PRIVATE MEDICAL CENTERS

We chose the approximately identical private medical centers in Russia and Japan.
Below we give the list of medical apparatuses which were used for the examination of our staff.
The Russian medical center:

  • Ultrasonic scanner Aloka Alpha 10
  • Computer electrocardiograph EASY ECG
  • Biochemical analyzer Sapphire-400 (Japan)
  • Clinical analyzer MEK-7222 (Nihon Kohden, Japan)
  • Urine analyzer Aution Eleven AE-4020 (Arkray, Japan)
  • The center also has CT and MRT.
  • The Japanese medical center:
  • Ultrasonic scanner GE LOGIC 7
  • Electrocardiograph Fukuda Denshi, model FCP-7541 (Japan)
  • X-ray apparatus Obayashi Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Japan)
  • Biochemical analyzer Hitachi (Japan)
  • Clinical analyzer Sysmex (Japan)
  • Urine analyzer (Sysmex, Japan)
  • Besides, the center has CT, MRT and PET.

2. PROCEDURES AND THE ORDER OF EXAMINATION

In the Russian medical center, the complex examination starts with the visit to the therapist. By asking a dozen questions, the therapist suggested to undergo the ultrasonic examination, ECG, X-ray examination, the vision screening and also to pass the blood and urine analyzes. The list of consulting rooms that were necessary to pass was defined in the registry, and the time of visits to doctors was appointed. As a whole, the waiting to the doctor did not exceed 10 minutes. Everything was done accurately and organized.

After recording to the therapist once more next day after the examination, our staff got the therapist’s comments in the oral form concerning the results of the examination. The duration of the examination during two days doesn’t exceed in total 2 hours.

In the Japanese medical center, our staff received more than 20 pages of the information before the examination including the questionnaire, the address of the center, the map how best to get to the center, the list of services and prices as well as the list of questions to be filled in.

From the large number of suggested programs we selected the following program which mostly corresponded to the examination program in the Russian center: ultrasonic examination, ECG, X-ray, vision and hearing screening, blood, urine and feces analyses, anthropometry.
The time at 8:30 was appointed. In the center our staff and another 7-8 patients were given pajamas which they put on, and the staff of the center accompanied each patient to the consulting rooms. The duration of the examination took about 2 hours. The conclusion on the results of the examination was promised to be issued in about two weeks that was exactly done.

3. THE COST OF THE EXAMINATION IN THE PRIVATE MEDICAL CENTERS

The cost of the examination in the Russian medical center (ultrasonic examination, ECG, vision, selection of glasses, clinical and biochemical blood analyzes, and also the urine analysis, twofold examination by a therapist) amounted to $350 in dollar terms.
The cost of the examination in the Japanese medical center (ultrasonic examination, ECG, vision, hearing, clinical and biochemical blood analyzes, and also the urine and feces analysis) amounted to $500 in dollar terms.

4. EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS OF EXAMINATION

In the Russian medical center, the doctor describes the results of his examination or simply the results are given, for example the data of the blood or urine analysis. The final diagnosis is made by the therapist after studying all results of examination by all doctors. He also gives the recommendations.
In the Japanese medical center, besides the general brief conclusion each doctor gives the standard evaluation by five letters A, B, C, D and E. The meaning of each letter is the following:
“A” ---- Norm (no deviations).
“B” ---- Found a little deviation from the norm. However, this deviation is so slight that it does not prevent the everyday life.
“C” ---- The condition requires a certain attention to the way of everyday life or the repeated examination by the doctor is required after some time. (Take a wait-and-see approach = waiting attitude).
“D” ---- An immediate visit to a doctor is required (the detailed examination is required).
“E” ---- You must consult the doctor immediately (the treatment is required).

5. RESULTS OF EXAMINATION

We give below the list of scanned results of examinations in the Japanese and Russian medical centers. The Japanese results of examinations and conclusion were translated from Japanese to Russian.

Results of examination in the Russian medical center:

  • Ultrasonic examination of thyroid, liver, spleen, gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys
  • ECG
  • Urine test
  • Clinical blood test
  • Biochemical blood test


Results of examination in the Japanese medical center:

  • History of diseases, examination by the therapist, anthropometry, vision, hearing
  • Examination of lungs, ECG, X-ray, ultrasonic examination of liver, spleen, gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys
  • Blood, urine and feces tests,
  • Results of various analyses, diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and of the state of electrolyte balance,
  • Diagnosis of the functional state of kidneys, liver, pancreas and gall bladder, diagnosis of the lipid spectrum, diagnosis of syphilis, diagnosis of metabolic disorders,
  • Recommendations regarding nutrition and the way of life


As a result of examinations in the Japanese medical center the following things were revealed: three-speed supraventricular arrhythmia, stomach deformation with wall thickening, hepatic hemangioma and gallbladder polyp.
Besides the stated results of examination, the Japanese medical center gave the description of the purpose of certain types of examinations with explanation of the essence of some parameters of examination in the Japanese language.