The Nippon Travel Health Insurance Union (hereinafter 'Nippon Travel Health') provides a wide range of health promotion programs to support the physical and mental well-being of employees and their families from Nippon Travel Co., Ltd. and its affiliated companies. These include specific health checkups, various cancer screenings, free dental checkups, sports club usage subsidies, walking rally events to encourage exercise habits, and health consultations.

In recent years, while the importance of maintaining mental well-being has increased, the Union has identified as a key priority the need for concrete measures to encourage members to routinely utilize consultation services for prevention and early detection.

Against this backdrop, the Union decided to introduce 'Pocket Therapist'—a service that enables early intervention for mental health issues by starting with physical health—as a health consultation channel that is easy for members to access and use.

Three key factors led to the adoption decision:

- A holistic health consultation channel that members can easily use in daily life The service allows members to have one-on-one consultations with healthcare professionals (such as physical therapists and certified psychologists) via smartphone, creating a flexible consultation environment that members can use at their own pace. The ability to discuss and address physical discomfort, mental well-being, and self-care habits in an integrated manner—without separating these domains—was highly valued for enhancing user accessibility.

- A comprehensive support framework using a mind-body integrated approach, starting with physical health Based on scientific insights into the mind-body connection, the service is designed to start with self-care for physical issues such as shoulder stiffness and lower back pain, naturally extending to support for maintaining mental well-being. This framework, which expands from physical health to holistic mind-body care, was recognized as beneficial for supporting members' overall well-being.

- Concrete user engagement strategies to promote registration and usage, such as AI posture screening and health seminars Initiatives such as AI posture screening events to encourage registration and tailored health seminars were highly appreciated. The provider's proactive support in designing and operating user onboarding pathways—helping members 'try it out'—provided a tangible sense of progress in real-world health program implementation, making it a decisive factor.

With the introduction of 'Pocket Therapist,' the Union aims to contribute over the medium to long term to each member's physical and mental well-being and health improvement, providing a broad platform for consultation and support not limited to mental health, but encompassing overall health.

Comment from Nippon Travel Health Insurance Union

Following the discontinuation of our previous health consultation app and low utilization of mental health counseling, we were searching for a service that could support both physical and mental well-being. We highly valued Pocket Therapist’s innovative approach of connecting physical discomforts like shoulder and back pain to mental health support, as well as the provision of over 200 educational videos to improve health literacy. Additionally, Backtech’s supportive, hands-on approach in addressing our immediate challenge of promoting member registration was a major deciding factor in our adoption.

About Nippon Travel Health Insurance Union

The Nippon Travel Health Insurance Union is a health insurance society responsible for the health maintenance and improvement of employees and dependents in the travel industry. It operates a wide range of health programs, including comprehensive health checkups, lifestyle disease prevention screenings, free dental checkups, sports club subsidies, walking rallies to promote exercise habits, and health consultations—including mental health counseling—to support the holistic well-being of each member.

Union Name: Nippon Travel Health Insurance Union Location: Koto City, Tokyo Established: November 1, 1982 URL: https://ntakenpo.or.jp/

About 'Pocket Therapist'

Designed to support high-stress employees and reduce presenteeism, 'Pocket Therapist' is being adopted by numerous companies across various industries and sizes.

Pocket Therapist is a service that addresses difficult-to-manage mental health issues by starting from physical pain and discomfort. It supports a wide range of concerns—from physical symptoms to mental health challenges—and helps improve presenteeism.

Drawing on expertise from medical professionals, the service supports improved health literacy and the habituation of self-care through online consultations for health concerns and personalized health programs and video content for each employee.

Beyond functioning as a health consultation channel, the service actively accompanies users through their specific health issues and concerns. Aimed at supporting high-stress employees and reducing presenteeism—trends increasingly prevalent in modern workplaces—it has been adopted by numerous health insurance unions and companies regardless of industry or scale.

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About Backtech Inc.

Backtech Inc. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO Naoto Fukutani; hereinafter 'the Company') is a venture company originating from the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, with strong medical expertise. Guided by the management philosophy of 'Making society healthier,' the company supports strategic planning and implementation of human capital management and health management for corporations.

The 'Pocket Therapist' service, which addresses mental health challenges through physical issues like shoulder and back pain, is supported by medical professionals including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists, who assist each employee’s physical and mental well-being.

Backtech supports health management across diverse industries and aims to contribute to the realization of a healthy and sustainable society by enabling more companies and organizations to utilize 'Pocket Therapist'.

Company Name: Backtech Inc.

Representative: CEO Naoto Fukutani

Head Office: 6F, Canal Square Shibaura, 3-14-18 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Established: April 4, 2016

URL: https://www.backtech.co.jp/

Pocket Therapist: https://pocket-therapist.jp/

Contact

Public Relations, Backtech Inc.

Email: info@backtech.co.jp

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Partnership