Diplomatic memorandum protocols and procedures

To:

The Minister of Foreign Affairs

Subject:

Canadian strategy for collaboration with Japan to adopt new healthcare strategies for promoting maximum communication between the patients and Canadian doctors

Summary: The Conference will present an opportunity for the Canadian states to focus on improving their healthcare by signifying the importance of online communications between the healthcare physicians and the patients. The quick communication between the two sides would be enabled with the integration of Japanese technology and professional expertise to address the current challenge during the global pandemic. Canada plans to be an active participant at the Conference so that no stone is left unturned for providing its citizens with the best healthcare services and facilities that would require institutional reform, despite being equipped with the best information technology tools in the country. Unique prospects of smart healthcare within its medical bedrock would be discussed keenly in the upcoming Conference.

Recommendations:

i. You agree to ask Japan for support in making healthcare improvements for the social welfare of its citizens.

ii. That you approve the objectives mentioned in this memorandum.

iii. That you approve the proposed steps mentioned in the memorandum.

Background

Economic cooperation and assistance could be gained from other countries to maintain peaceful relations between both regions. Trade-in healthcare could result in cross-border delivery of products and services that one country lacks and the other country is proficient in or has an abundance. The movement of professionals and technologies across borders can be counted in economic cooperation in healthcare that could be made possible with appropriate national and state policies. Capitalizing on globalization is not new in the contemporary world, and the countries who already on good national terms, such as Canada and Japan, take safeguard measures for benefitting from these efforts.

Canada’s healthcare system has not developed to the level that could ensure online communications of doctors online, especially for discussing medications, health conditions and emailing them in critical needs. Japan has made progress with leaps and bounds in the healthcare industry. However, it supported Canada in other areas of the economy, such as automobiles, information, communication, sustainable technologies, financial services, and assistance in forestry (Government of Canada, 2021). However, Canada has not pressed to the mark that could guarantee obstacle-free communications with doctors. Approximately one-fifth family doctors in Canada allow their patients to have the option of contacting them online, despite the country’s vigorous use of online communications for studying, ordering food, and even online banking (Philphott & Bhattacharyya, 2019). Contacting doctors via online means remains a hindrance for the Canadian population. Moreover, being one of the eleven high-income countries of the world, it has scored worst in a survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey of Primary Care Physicians (Philphott & Bhattacharyya, 2019). This becomes an issue of national concern when health on broader terms needs to be understood in difficult times like today’s pandemic.

It would not be wrong to say that Canada possesses state-of-the-art technology. Still, there is an assumed lack of skills or awareness from the family doctors’ side and the patients that the healthcare technology should be incorporated well. Japan can support its supreme quality information technology in the healthcare industry to help Canada with its dilemma. Furthermore, funding from the federal government accounted up for $2.5 billion for the regulation of accrete funds in the concerned departments, especially for adopting digital tools that would assist in recording electronic patient data; however, the matter at the moment does not require documentation and billing. Rather, it must focus on seamless integration of methods that could be used for knowledge advancement for primary care teams in Canada for promoting online healthcare to their patients. Since healthcare is of prime concern for every geographical region these days due to pandemics, Canada wants to be on the top to adopt enhanced healthcare infrastructure for its citizens. The tools and methods that helped Japan gain a top place in healthcare technology could be shared with the Canadian government to encourage the economic development of both countries.

Considerations

Following considerations must be taken when making the policy recommendations so that all crucial factors are addressed and thoroughly contemplated when the decision is to be made.

· Canada’s overall objective is to maximize its citizens’ social well-being, mainly in times of the current pandemic. Each country citizen is given equal healthcare services without any discrimination of gender, race, sex, religion, or ethnic background. This philosophy is clearly in line with Canada’s Constitution, The Charter, Section 15 as well that states that every individual in Canada has the right to be treated fairly regardless of any discrimination based on national, religious, ethnic origin or even in the name of the color, sex, physical or mental disability (Canadian Department of Justice, n.a.).

· The economic collaboration between Canada and Japan should be strengthened since the economic relationship would help build a peaceful environment between the two countries. Japan is the third-largest economy globally, with the support of whom Canada can eliminate healthcare barriers and lead in important industries like healthcare. Gaining a competitive advantage in this industry with Japan’s cutting-edge technological interventions and knowledge from its healthcare field would lead Canada to become one of the sophisticated healthcare technology proprietors.

· The bilateral trade policies and agreements should be revisited to reduce tariffs, taxes, and trade quotas related to this initiative. The cross-border exchange of professionals and healthcare technology would become convenient to encourage healthcare trade and investment within Canada. Also, this would give further rise to fortification among the two countries’ partnership on Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in which one of the domains in science and innovation. When coordination for sharing of knowledge in the healthcare field would be launched, the OECD, along with Canada and Japan, should emphasize the Ministerial discussion for increased engagement on global economic activities.

· Canada should contemplate the healthcare sector’s role in reducing climate change, which is 10% greenhouse gas emission in the United States (No Harm.org, n.a.). Incorporating telemedicine, such as online communication between doctors and patients, would help reduce carbon-emitting activities when transport would be reduced (Tsagkaris et al., 2021). The patients would not have to visit hospitals frequently, reducing the healthcare carbon footprint in the current pandemic situation.

Resource Implications

The human and financial resources flowing from the recommendation could be estimated to $3billion for the improvement in healthcare infrastructure for the promotion of online communication. For that purpose, the incoming of Japanese professionals who have been successfully able to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) in their smart hospitals and envision their future healthcare with smart technology in Japan (Nature Portfolio, n.a.), and training of Canadian physicians with the same skills is expected.

Communications Implications/ Actions

Japan has the world’s third-largest GDP worldwide has a large market share in the healthcare industry. Japanese citizens have good health conditions since the population is huge, and people need to be catered with the best health facilities that are certified through its tech-friendly health infrastructure. Hence, with the integration of such sturdy information technology, it would be the responsibility of the Canadian government to let its citizens know about the advancements in the healthcare field for the social upgrade that it is planning for its people. The news would be disseminated through all media, including television, social media, newspapers, etc.