English version - Fit for Work Europe

MSDs and government
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deliver better outcomes through investment, employment and innovation in the pathology sector,
providing net savings on the long-term burden of chronic MSDs.
One way to tackle the impact of MSDs on the working age population is an established national
plan for the early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with MSDs. Such plans
outlines national standards of diagnosis and treatment, support coordinated effort between
government departments and agencies and establish mechanisms which help health care
professionals and employers to support job retention and return to work among people of
working age with MSDs.
Considering the evidence towards the wider benefits of early intervention that are currently
taken into account in the cost-effectiveness models for treatment of MSDs, we recommend that
Japanese policy-makers:
• Acknowledge both the direct and indirect costs of ill health of the Japanese population.
A vast burden of MSDs on the patients’ quality of life, caregivers’ employment
opportunities and the welfare system should inform the government’s priorities in
addressing the impact of ill health on the Japanese economy and society.
• Develop a national system of monitoring and surveillance of MSDs. Building a
comprehensive picture of the impact of MSDs on the Japanese population requires
a more detailed differentiation between different types of musculoskeletal conditions,
in particular between different types of arthritis. The inpatient data collected currently
needs to be complemented by the information on sickness absence gathered by the
employers and the outpatient clinics.
• Improve coordination between different departments within the MHLW to develop a
more coordinated approach in supporting people with MSDs moving off benefits and
back into work.
• Introduce early diagnosis and intervention strategies, such as improved access to
diagnostic procedures, facilitated referral pathways, mandatory injury management
programs and joined-up stakeholder consultations during case management. Ensure
that the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment measures are covered by the
pharmaceutical reimbursement schedule and available to patients.
• Support research into innovative programmes for managing and reducing the burden
of work disability in Japanese workplaces and encourage workers compensation and
rehabilitation authorities to do the same.
Fit For Work? Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Japanese Labour Market