President's Greeting
Greetings from President Yoshihiro Seo
April, 2024
My name is Yoshihiro Seo, and it is with great honor that I have been appointed as the 8th President of the Japanese Society of Echocardiography (JSE). I am profoundly aware of the immense responsibility that comes with this important role.
In April 2024, Japan’s physician work style reform was fully implemented, and the medical community is now at a major turning point. Standing at this pivotal moment, many of our members are surely engaged in deep reflection, addressing the challenges of maintaining and further elevating the quality of healthcare. While a definitive answer to what constitutes high-quality healthcare is elusive, our foremost priority is to provide patients with a high standard of medical services that makes them feel secure and satisfied. Concurrently, fostering an environment where medical staff can find meaningful work and grow professionally is equally crucial for enhancing healthcare quality. The objective of the work style reform is precisely to achieve these goals.
It is therefore essential for the Japanese Society of Echocardiography to re-evaluate its role in this new era. An urgent challenge we face is achieving a balance between enhancing the precision of examinations and improving their efficiency. While the dissemination and education of echocardiography remain at the core of our society’s mission, we believe a shift in our educational approach is necessary to practically apply the latest technologies in clinical practice. Specifically, we must transition from passive lectures to hands-on experiential learning and innovate our workflows through the introduction of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Furthermore, I believe it is a key priority for our society to proactively develop initiatives that promote task-shifting by expanding our membership to other professionals, such as nurses.
As a member society of The Japanese Circulation Society (JCS), the JSE must solidify its central position in cardiovascular imaging. We will further enhance our presence by actively participating in international and domestic echocardiography guidelines and by promoting exchange with other societies. It is indispensable for our society's development that we, as the JSE, actively contribute to guidelines issued by international societies such as the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI). To accomplish this, we need the cooperation of our members in generating diverse research findings and building a robust evidence base. Our goal is to operate the society in a way that stimulates and actively supports the intellectual curiosity of our members.
Finally, I believe it is crucial for the Japanese Society of Echocardiography not to merely focus on technical refinement, but also on how we can contribute more broadly to society. Throughout my term as president, I will dedicate my full efforts to achieving these goals. I humbly ask for the support and cooperation of all our members. Together, let us build a new future for echocardiography.
Yoshihiro Seo, MD, PhD
President of the Japanese Society of Echocardiography
(Professor, Chairman,Department of CardiologyNagoya City UniversityGraduate School of Medical Sciences)
