Chapter Name: The Japan Epilepsy Society (JES)
Report By: Kosuke Kanemoto, M.D., Ph.D.

Publications:

Epilepsia (3 publications a year)
Epilepsy & Seizure(annual publication)

Summary of Activities:

Chapter meetings: The 51st Congress of JES in Kyoto, the 52nd Congress of JES in Yokohama
Advocacy: The part related to epilepsy in Questions & Answers about Epilepsy in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was translated into Japanese, posted on the homepage of JES, and will be in Epilepsia 36(3). A seminar by a lawyer expert on problems related to the disabilities will be held in Tokyo on January 26, 2019.
Public outreach: International Epilepsy Day event was held in Tokyo on February 12, 2018.
Government liaisons: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is unlikely to agree to the revision of Japanese drug information on anti-epileptic drugs regarding driving restriction. The Japan Epilepsy Society will organize research data derived using driving simulators in several institutions, in order to prove their use does not adversely affect patients’ driving ability.

Challenges:

A project on the development of regional cooperation system of medical services on epilepsy (Regional Cooperation Project) was started in 2015 fiscal year by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and will be expanded from 2019 fiscal year. There are political misunderstandings on JES and Japan Epilepsy Center Association (JEPICA). JES President will make a proposal to JEPICA that the two organizations be constructively integrated within the next one to two years with transparency. An executive committee on the education of paramedical staff will be formed within JES, and run by JEPICA. Discussion on the standardization of epilepsy centers and regional medical cooperation system will be done carried out in JES.

Future Plans:

JES plans to set criteria for epilepsy centers: 1. Number of long-term video EEG monitoring may be set to 30/year at minimum. 2. One of the medical experience criteria is to be ‘provides expert medical service on the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric problems accompanying epilepsy.’ 3. ‘Has an epilepsy clinic coordinator’ may be added to the medical experience criteria in line with Regional Cooperation Project. 4. ‘Holds a study meeting with epilepsy primary care physicians and/or a lecture open to the public at least 1/year’ may be added to the medical experience criteria. 6. Hospitals that meet the criteria for a core hospital in Regional Cooperation Project may be considered as a quasi-epilepsy center. If more than one hospitals function as a tertiary center as a group, the group may be considered as a quasi-epilepsy center.

Officer Election Date: November 2, 2017