TOKYO - Over 70 percent of people in Japan are positive about the introduction of cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence and robots in the medical and health care sectors, a government study showed Tuesday.
The study, released in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's annual white paper, emphasized the "importance of improving efficiency and productivity by incorporating technology" by around 2040, when Japan's elderly population aged 65 and above is expected to peak, amid worsening shortages of doctors, nurses and care workers.
In the online survey, 72.4 percent of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed with the use of AI to assist doctors' diagnoses, while 73.7 percent endorsed the use of robots to facilitate communication between caregivers and care recipients.
Meanwhile, 74.5 percent said they felt or felt somewhat anxious about a labor shortage in medical care, while 81.3 percent said so for nursing care.
The survey was conducted in January and February among residents of Japan aged 20 to 74 and received 3,000 valid responses.
