Chitose City, Hokkaido, Introduces "IIJ Electronic @ Contact Service" to Establish a Layered Support System Across Fields and Generations

We are pleased to announce that Chitose City, Hokkaido, has implemented the "IIJ Electronic @ Contact Service" (hereinafter referred to as "Electronic @ Contact Service"), an ICT platform that enables real-time information linkage and sharing among professionals in the medical, nursing care, and welfare fields.

The Electronic @ Contact Service is a "multi-professional collaboration platform" connecting professionals who support community living, including medical care, welfare, nursing care, and administration. It began service in April 2017 as an ICT platform for professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, care helpers, and care managers to share patient information of elderly individuals receiving home medical care, as well as pediatric and child patients. Currently, it is used by over 29,000 medical, nursing care, and welfare professionals in 76 municipalities nationwide.

Background of Implementation

Chitose City has been working on establishing a "layered support system" to comprehensively support community residents facing complex challenges such as double care (Note 1) and the 8050 problem (Note 2). Preparatory projects were advanced from fiscal year 2024, and the "Chitose City Layered Support System Development Project" commenced in fiscal year 2025. For support spanning multiple fields like medical care, welfare, and education, it is required that support stakeholders appropriately share the daily status and response details of the target individuals to ensure seamless and continuous support. However, there are cases where it is difficult to promptly share necessary information among stakeholders.

In light of these challenges, Chitose City began a trial introduction of the Electronic @ Contact Service from fiscal year 2025 as a mechanism for related organizations to share information across fields and organizations. Verification of its use was conducted in approximately 30 regional medical, nursing care, welfare, and education-related institutions, including hospitals and community comprehensive support centers. As certain effects such as smoother information sharing among related organizations and improved continuity and transparency of support were confirmed, Chitose City has now officially adopted "Electronic @ Contact Service" and "Kokonote" as "Electronic Contact Service CONNECT".

(Note 1) Refers to a situation where childcare and care for parents or relatives occur simultaneously.

(Note 2) A social problem where many families, often with parents in their 80s supporting children in their 50s, fall into economic hardship and social isolation.

Expected Effects

In Chitose City, centered around the welfare department, related departments such as medical care, childcare, and education have been collaborating to promote discussions and preparations for building a layered support system. The Electronic @ Contact Service is positioned as a common platform supporting these cross-departmental initiatives, and seamless support is expected.

In particular, Chitose City will utilize "Kokonote" as a communication tool for patients and their families to share their daily situations and maintain continuous connection with professionals. This will enable more detailed care and therapeutic support based on information such as the support recipient's school attendance, daycare attendance, or home status.

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For more details on the IIJ Electronic @ Contact Service, please visit https://renrakucho.iij.jp/

We will continue to contribute to the development of community-based integrated care systems and layered support systems by providing the "Electronic @ Contact Service," a platform that supports community living through data linkage.

Comment from Chitose City

This city launched the "Chitose City Layered Support System Development Project" in fiscal year 2025, promoting the creation of a comprehensive support system capable of responding to the increasingly complex and multifaceted support needs of its residents. To facilitate information sharing and communication among support stakeholders and related organizations, and to support daily life-based assistance, we introduced "Electronic Contact Service CONNECT" from fiscal year 2026. Through this system, we aim to create an environment where stakeholders can collaborate with a common understanding, thereby fostering a system that allows residents to continue living in the community with peace of mind.