The 17th Annual Conference of Japan Primary Care Association

Chair:Tomio Suzuki, Kentaro Asakura

To realize Value-Based Care, primary care practitioners—including general practitioners, multidisciplinary teams, and policymakers—must work across traditional boundaries to address shared challenges under the theme, “Connect and Link: Integrating Care for the Future.” In the context of rapidly escalating healthcare and long-term care needs, this symposium asks a central question: how can more meaningful and effective connections—across clinical practice, communities, and policy—contribute to a sustainable primary care ecosystem?
Professor Shirley Lee (University of Toronto) will share perspectives from the Canadian healthcare system, with particular attention to sustainability and the risks of over-medicalization. This will be complemented by insights from two general practitioners: one practicing in a community hospital and working closely with multidisciplinary teams and local residents, and another engaged at the policy level, translating frontline clinical experience into collaboration with municipal governments. Through this multi-layered dialogue, the symposium aims to generate practical and transferable pathways toward a more integrated, resilient, and value-driven primary care system.