From electronic medical records to real-world evidence in Japan: an interview with Dr. Tomohiro Sonoo, TXP Medical

Real-world data (RWD) is playing an increasingly important role in Japan, shaping healthcare decision-making, supporting regulatory processes, and improving patient outcomes. Beyond traditional trials, large-scale claims, hospital, and pharmacy databases have created a foundation for evidence generation across diverse populations. The next phase is the integration of electronic medical records (EMRs), which offer richer clinical detail but face barriers around adoption, privacy, and interoperability. In this interview, Dr. Tomohiro Sonoo, CEO and President of TXP Medical, reflects on the impact of RWD in Japan to date and considers the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as EMRs become central to the evidence ecosystem.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Questions

• To begin, could you tell us a little bit about your background and your involvement in RWD research?
• From your perspective, what have been the most important ways RWD has influenced healthcare decision-making and patient outcomes in Japan?
• How has RWD contributed to regulatory processes and clinical practice, particularly in areas such as post-marketing surveillance or the care of Japan’s aging population?
• Turning to EMRs, what are the current strengths and gaps in their use for evidence generation?
• What are the main barriers to wider EMR adoption and integration, including issues such as privacy, confidentiality, and interoperability?
• TXP Medical’s NEXT Stage series draws on acute care and community-based data. How does this differ from traditional EMR datasets, and what unique strengths does it offer?
• Looking ahead, how do you see EHR-based RWD shaping the next stage of evidence generation and improving outcomes for patients in Japan?

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Published as part of the Evidence Insights, "Harnessing RWD in Japan: Structure, strategy and impact."

Interviewee

Tomohiro Sonoo
CEO, President, TXP Medical Co. Ltd.

Tomohiro Sonoo is the founder and CEO of TXP Medical, a startup founded in 2017 to address challenges in acute medical care. TXP's proprietary tool, Next Stage ER, addresses issues in emergency medical care. Born in Tokyo in 1985, he graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine in 2010. Previously, he engaged in clinical work and research in emergency and intensive care at the University of Tokyo Hospital and Hitachi General Hospital. He is a Medical Doctor from the University of Tokyo and is a board-certified emergency physician by the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, and as a specialist in intensive care from the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this feature are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of TXP Medical, Medical Data Vision, The Evidence Base® or Becaris Publishing Ltd.