Telemedicine has seen rapid development all over the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to other developed countries, the adoption of telemedicine has been sluggish in Japan. Most of the developed countries are focusing on the development of telemedicine as a national policy, which is why telemedicine is developing. Although telemedicine has been available in Japan for some time, it was only an adjunct to face-to-face treatment. However, due to the spread of COVID-19, the introduction of telemedicine is rapidly gaining momentum as regulations have been significantly eased to allow for initial consultations and new prescriptions other than those for on-demand use. This article compares the background and current status of telemedicine in Japan and other countries where telemedicine is making progress, and outlines the future prospects of telemedicine.

The usefulness of acupuncture and moxibustion as complementary and alternative medicine in the field of palliative care, in recent years. Since August 2021, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy was integrated into the palliative care team at Tokai University Hospital, an advanced acute care hospital. We present an overview and activities of the acupuncture and moxibustion therapy team at our hospital. Within approximately 1 year and 3 months, 35 patients (14 men and 21 women) presented for acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, which corresponds to 10% of the number of patients treated by the palliative care team. The most common reason for consultation was requests for physical pain, especially pain (55%), indicating a need for acupuncturists to relieve pain. The most common treatment method was warm moxibustion, suggesting the influence of painful or scary images of acupuncture. The majority of patients also wanted acupuncture intervention until discharge from hospital. The presence of a need for acupuncture for temporary relief of pain as well as temporary improvement of mental state, including relaxation, was suggested.