Recent achievements and future plans of the Japan Stroke Society -What should we do next?-

Abstract

At the 4th Presidential Lecture of the Japan Stroke Society (JSS), I talked about the status and achievements of the JSS in 2007, as well as the progress towards realizing the 20 manifesto points that I proposed about 4 years ago, when I was inaugurated as president of the JSS. 1. The number of active members was 5,116, and the number of authorized stroke specialists certified by the JSS was 2,708. The number of stroke specialists amounts to 1.1% of the total number of Japanese medical doctors. This means that one stroke specialist has to take care of 47,177 Japanese people who may develop stroke. However, the situation may be even more difficult than this, because the distribution of stroke specialists throughout the country is not uniform. We need more stroke specialists in Japan. 2. Among the 20 manifesto points that I proposed 4 years ago, about 70 to 75% have been successfully completed so far. 3. In 2007, our major achievements were as follows: 1) The official journal, Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, was accepted into the National Library of Medicine, an outcome that JSS members have sought for many years. 2) A retirement age for the directors and councillors of the JSS was established. 3) Arrangements were made for closer communication with related medical societies, such as the Japanese Society of Hypertension, and so on. 4) Progress was made in promoting communication with local communities about stroke, as well as improving the education of the general public about stroke. 5) Closer relationships were established with Western countries, and particularly with Asian countries, concerning stroke-related matters. 4. Plans for the immediate future of the JSS include: 1) Reaching agreement with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for stroke specialists to be allowed to advertise. 2) Further emphasizing the importance of team medical management, particularly stroke education for co-medical workers, at the annual meeting of the JSS. 3) To make a part of the JSS homepages available in English, and so on. The JSS should progress into the 21st century with a broad vision for its future, looking beyond a conventional science-focused role.