Although medical specialization can be credited with many of the advancements of modern medicine, it also poses obstacles to the delivery of healthcare. Such obstacles are increasingly prevalent in the treatment of the chronic conditions and poly-morbidities of aging populations, where specialization can be a barrier to the coordination and cooperation required to provide comprehensive care.

This book specifies these obstacles and clarifies the conditions for overcoming them. It focuses on Advanced Practice Nursing, and benefits from comparisons between French and Japanese situations that have mobilized the authors – both researchers and practitioners – for several years. It argues that APNs can perform the coordinating and cooperation role, but that doing so will require greater institutional openness to innovation, and a systemic change in focus from ‘cure’ to ‘care’.

"Thanks to an original approach, this book gives a new light on the challenges and stakes of deploying Advanced Practice by comparing two countries with very different cultures. Differences, of course, but in both cases a common core profession, an innovative nursing profession and a need for solid training to meet the populations’ health needs."
--- Julie Devictor, President of the National Professional Council of Advanced Practice Nurses and editor-in-chief of the "Revue de la Pratique Avancée" (France)

"Nurses play a pivotal role in the develop of integrated healthcare systems and the innovations and the systems improvements required to achieve these new models of care. The authors provide a creative and thoughtful exploration of the advanced practice nurse’s role within the context of this changing environment. This book provides an excellent insight into this important and highly topical area from two different, yet comparable contexts."
--- Sharon Williams, professor at the Swansea Centre for Improvement & Innovation in Health and Social Care, College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University (U.K.).

About Editors and Authors

Philippe Mossé (Editor)
Research director emeritus, LEST, CNRS-AMU; His research focus is on Health Policy and Labor Market Economics from an international comparative perspective.

Maryse Boulongne-Garcin
Former director of the Nursing Department, l’Assistance Publique de Paris; She has long been interested in advanced practice nursing. 

Corinne Grenier
Senior professor, KEDGE Business School, Marseille; She is the Scientific head of the Executive Mastère in healthcare management and the scientific head of the Center of Expertise (research and education) in Healthcare & Innovation. 

Tetsu Harayama
Visiting Researcher of the Institute of Social Sciences, Toyo Univ., Tokyo; His interests include comparisons of nurses’ worlds in France and Japan.

Tsumako Kawasaki
Certified nurse administrator, Tokyo Medical & Dental Univ., Medical Hospital; She is director of the division of patient consultation service.

Rieko Yamashita
Professor, Faculty of Law, Toyo Univ., Tokyo. Her research interests focus on intergenerational relations, for example, Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Table of contents