Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital Introduces "mediPhone" Foreign Patient Acceptance Support Service

Mediphone Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Mayumi Sawada; hereinafter "Mediphone"), which provides remote medical interpretation for medical institutions and supports corporate health management®, announced that it has begun providing its foreign patient acceptance support service "mediPhone" to the Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo Hospital (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Director: Yasuhito Tajiri; hereinafter "Hiroo Hospital"), a local independent administrative agency under the Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital Organization. To meet diversifying patient needs, this aims to establish a 24-hour, 365-day remote medical interpretation system, thereby supporting smooth communication with foreign patients (visitors and residents) and reducing the workload of healthcare professionals.

Hiroo Hospital, a metropolitan hospital with a 130-year history established in the Meiji era as a medical base for infectious diseases, focuses on emergency medicine, disaster medicine, island medical care (accepting transfers from the Izu and Ogasawara Islands), and provides extensive medical care for foreigners. Under the philosophy of "We provide safe, secure, and high-quality medical care to all patients," the hospital has established a comprehensive medical care system ranging from minor illnesses to tertiary emergency care.

**■ Background of Introduction**
The area around Hiroo Hospital has many embassies and accommodations, and foreign tourists and resident foreigners frequently visit the hospital, with foreign patients being transported in emergencies on a daily basis. In consideration of this regional environment, the hospital has assigned medical coordinators for foreigners and in-house interpreters. However, there was a growing need to further strengthen the system to achieve quick and polite multilingual communication and allow medical professionals to concentrate on medical treatment.

Against this background, "mediPhone" was chosen for its ability to handle multiple languages, including rare languages, its 24-hour, 365-day connection system, and its support by interpreters who understand medical terminology.

**■ Support Content and Expected Effects**
"mediPhone" helps overcome language barriers in medical settings through remote medical interpretation, supporting smooth communication with foreign patients.

* 24/7 Support: Provides a stable interpretation environment at all times, including emergencies.
* Specialized Interpretation Quality in the Medical Field: Support by interpreters trained in medical fields.
* Features considerate of on-site operations: Standard equipment includes functions suited to daily work, such as three-way calling and document translation.
* Reduced workload for medical professionals: Contributes to reducing the communication burden associated with responding to foreign patients.

**[Comment from Hiroo Hospital Representative]**
Director, Emergency & Critical Care Center, Masamitsu Shirokawa
Our hospital serves patients who speak various native languages.
Visiting a medical institution can cause anxiety not only due to language barriers but also due to cultural and customary differences.
By introducing Mediphone's service this time, we aim to alleviate such anxieties.

**■ Future Outlook**
Mediphone will continue to work on improving situations where necessary medical information is not properly conveyed due to language differences, aiming to realize a society where "all diverse people can live long and actively according to their own will, regardless of nationality or language."

* "Kenko Keiei®" (Health Management) is a registered trademark of the NPO Health Management Research Group.

**[About Mediphone Co., Ltd.]**
Foreign patient acceptance support service "mediPhone"