Expanding the Service Area of the 'Nighttime Dispatch Option' to Reduce Nighttime Medical System Issues in Nursing Homes

DoctorMate Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and Physician: Naoki Aoyagi, hereinafter referred to as DoctorMate), which provides medical solutions for nursing care facilities, will expand the service area of its new service 'Nighttime Dispatch Option,' starting from August 1, 2026.

This service, in addition to the existing service 'Nighttime On-Call Delegation™,' involves nurses from affiliated medical institutions visiting nursing care facilities at night to provide medical care within the facility and accompany during nighttime emergency transport to medical institutions. With this expansion, in addition to the current central Tokyo 23 wards and parts of Saitama, the service will also be available in the Tama-Hachioji area of Tokyo and the Sagamihara area of Kanagawa Prefecture. (Note: Some areas are excluded)

Current Situation of Nighttime Nursing Care Facilities

In nursing care facilities, nighttime staff often do not include nurses, and a few nursing care workers must oversee a large floor, creating an 'overwhelming shortage of manpower.' Additionally, the psychological pressure of responding without medical experts is a challenge. If a resident's condition suddenly deteriorates at night, the facility must decide whether to call an ambulance immediately with limited staff. Furthermore, psychological fatigue and anxiety about calling a nurse at night, in addition to physical factors, are significant causes of fatigue in nursing care settings.

For facility nurses, nighttime on-call waiting and being called out also lead to psychological and physical burdens, resulting in lower recruitment and retention rates.

To improve this situation, DoctorMate started providing 'Nighttime On-Call Delegation™,' where nurses and doctors from DoctorMate handle nighttime on-call requests from nursing care facilities, in 2020. As of June 2026, this service has been adopted in over 1,200 facilities nationwide.

Reflecting the Voices of 'Nighttime On-Call Delegation™' Users

However, when medical procedures are required at night, the presence of facility nurses is necessary, and in cases of emergency transport, facility staff must respond. Many requests for 'nighttime dispatch during emergencies' have been received from facilities that have adopted 'Nighttime On-Call Delegation™.' After conducting a pilot test at some facilities in Tokyo, the 'Nighttime Dispatch Option' was officially released as an option for 'Nighttime On-Call Delegation™' in February 2026. Due to the significant response, the service area will now be expanded.

DoctorMate aims to directly address the nighttime labor shortage in the nursing care industry and contribute to the resolution and mitigation of nighttime medical system issues.

Case Study: Nighttime Dispatch Option at Hashiba Sumire Garden Special Nursing Home for the Elderly (Tokyo)

https://doctormate.co.jp/case/hashiba-sumire-kaketsuke

What is the Nighttime Dispatch Option?

The Nighttime Dispatch Option is a comprehensive term for two services: 'Nighttime Medical Response' and 'Accompaniment Delegation During Nighttime Emergency Transport.'

1. Nighttime Medical Response (Nurse Dispatch + Nighttime Online Consultation)

After receiving an on-call request from a nursing care facility, a DoctorMate nurse will receive it, and if medical treatment is necessary, a 'dispatch nurse' from a medical institution affiliated with DoctorMate will visit the facility. Along with the doctor's online consultation, the nurse will provide medical care such as wound treatment, balloon reinsertion, and sputum suction based on the doctor's instructions. This aims to resolve nighttime medical system issues.
*Note: Medical fees will be charged to the user when medical care is provided. Additionally, end-of-life care such as death diagnosis and angel care is not covered.

Image of Nighttime Medical Response (Nurse Dispatch + Nighttime Online Consultation)

2. Accompaniment Delegation During Nighttime Emergency Transport

When a facility user is urgently transported, a 'dispatch nurse' from a medical institution affiliated with DoctorMate will accompany the transport destination instead of the facility staff. This prevents the care of other residents from becoming neglected and aims to reduce the burden of nighttime external consultations, including emergency transport.

Image of Accompaniment Delegation During Nighttime Emergency Transport

'On-Call Experience Event' on July 14

In conjunction with the expansion of the service area, a special seminar and explanation meeting for nursing care facility staff in the Tama-Hachioji area and its vicinity will be held at Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe (Hachioji City, Tokyo).

On the day, our representative Aoyagi (a practicing physician) will explain 'New Common Sense for Nighttime Systems to Prevent Turnover,' and a simulated on-call experience will be conducted using the actual system, assuming a situation where a sudden change occurs at night, and consulting with a DoctorMate doctor.

Date: July 14, 2026 (Tue) 16:00～18:00 (18:00～Individual Consultation & Networking)

Venue: Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe 5th Conference Room (3-19-2 Myojin-cho, Hachioji City, Tokyo)

Event URL: https://doctormate.co.jp/seminar/seminar-27825

Application deadline: July 10, 2026 (Fri) 18:00

Overview of Nighttime Dispatch Option

Service Name: Nighttime Dispatch Option

Service Start Date: Starting August 1, 2026, the service will also be available in the Tama-Hachioji area and parts of Sagamihara.

Target Area: Central Tokyo 23 wards, parts of Saitama, Tama-Hachioji area of Tokyo, and Sagamihara area of Kanagawa Prefecture

(Note: Some areas are excluded)

Inquiries: 03-6822-5055 (Weekdays 9:00～19:00)

*Note 1 Nighttime On-Call Delegation™

This service involves nurses from DoctorMate (Nighttime On-Call Nurses) handling nighttime on-call responses that are conducted as part of the business at residential nursing care facilities nationwide, replacing facility nurses. Starting in 2020, this service has been provided and contributes to resolving medical issues and manpower shortages in nursing care settings. Feedback from adopting facilities includes 'Nurses' overtime has decreased' and 'Nighttime visits to check on residents have significantly decreased, and the hospitalization rate has dropped significantly.'

About DoctorMate Inc.

Adopted in over 1,500 nursing care facilities across Japan's 47 prefectures. The main service 'Nighttime On-Call Delegation™' has surpassed 180,000 consultation records since its launch in 2020. In 2026, nighttime dispatch services to nursing care facilities will also be started in some areas. Additionally, in 2022, the medical education service 'DM-study (D-Sta)' was released, and online psychiatric medical guidance and online consultation support for dermatology and psychiatry were released from 2024 onwards.

Company Name: DoctorMate Inc.

Representative: Naoki Aoyagi

Capital: 90 million yen

Headquarters Location: 3F, Nihonbashi Hamacho Place, 1-2-1 Nihonbashi Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Official Website: https://doctormate.co.jp/