December 18, 2023
Keio University School of Medicine
Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
Yokohama City University
Kobe University
Tohoku University
International University of Health and Welfare
The J-PROTECT collaborative research group, led by Project Professor Taishiro Kishimoto of the Hills Joint Research Laboratory for Future Preventive Medicine and Wellness, Keio University School of Medicine, [with participation from Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University (Professor Tetsufumi Kanazawa), Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (Lecturer Takashi Nakamae), Kobe University (Professor Akitoyo Hishimoto; then of Yokohama City University), Tohoku University (Professor Hiroaki Tomita), and a total of 19 domestic psychiatric medical institutions including general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and clinics], has demonstrated in Japan's first randomized controlled trial (a non-inferiority trial) that the therapeutic effects of online care for multiple psychiatric disorders are not inferior to those of in-person care.
This study, involving 199 patients with depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, compared the therapeutic effects between an "online combination group," which combined online care (receiving medical consultations from a doctor at home via video calls on smartphones, etc.) with in-person care, and an "in-person care group," which received only in-person care. The results proved that the online combination group was not inferior to the in-person care group in the primary endpoint, the SF-36 MCS score (Mental Component Summary score for quality of life). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the two groups for almost all secondary endpoints, including treatment discontinuation, satisfaction, and disease severity. On the other hand, the study showed that the online combination group had shorter hospital visit times and lower travel costs compared to the in-person care group.
The findings of this research scientifically substantiate the effectiveness of online care, which has not yet become widespread, and are expected to inform policy discussions aimed at promoting the future adoption of online care.
This research was published in the online edition of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences , a journal published by Wiley, on December 16, 2023.
Please see below for the full press release.