| Geographic distribution of healthcare resources, healthcare service provision, and patient flow in Japan: A cross sectional study. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 22920275 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Healthcare systems in developed countries are facing the challenge of dealing with changing social structures as a result of rapidly aging populations. This study examines the relationship among the geographical distribution of healthcare resources, healthcare service provision, and interregional patient flow in Japan. A cross-sectional study was performed using data from healthcare-related public surveys conducted in 2008, together with social, economic, and environmental variables. The geographical units of analysis were 348 Secondary Healthcare Service Areas, which provide and manage most healthcare services in Japan. The equity of the distribution of physicians among hospitals and clinics was evaluated using the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between the inpatient flow ratio and selected variables. Next, the 348 Secondary Healthcare Service Areas were divided into tertiles according to the inpatient flow ratio, and differences among these variables were examined using Bonferroni's correction for multiple comparisons. The Gini coefficient for physician distribution among hospitals was 0.209 and was 0.165 among clinics. Multiple regression analysis showed that hospital physician density, the elderly ratio, and hospital bed density were all correlated with the inpatient flow ratio (β = 0.396, -0.576, 0.425, respectively; R(2) = 0.622, all ps < 0.001). Healthcare resources were significantly more scarce in the lowest tertile (outflow group) than in other groups in both hospitals and clinics. The provision of healthcare services was also imbalanced among tertiles. Our results imply that there is a need for reconstituting the geographical distribution of healthcare resources in Japan. Further research and healthcare-related databases are also needed to facilitate the creation of a more balanced geographical distribution and of a more effective healthcare system in Japan. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Daisuke Shinjo; Toshiharu Aramaki |
Related Documents
:
|
2978775 - Dental treatment needs among hospitalized adult mental patients. 23617115 - Is going it alone still an option for your hospital? yes! 3218925 - Bilateral cleft lip repair. 23232025 - Clinicians on the board: what difference does it make? 11420865 - A continuing medical education lecture and workshop, physician behavior, and barriers t... 17041485 - Resource-based relative value scale (rbrvs): a useful tool for practice analysis. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2012-8-4 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Social science & medicine (1982) Volume: - ISSN: 1873-5347 ISO Abbreviation: Soc Sci Med Publication Date: 2012 Aug |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2012-8-27 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 8303205 Medline TA: Soc Sci Med Country: - |
Other Details:
|
Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Copyright Information:
|
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Management Assistance, Welfare and Medical Service Agency, 4-3-13 Kamiyacho, Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo 105-8486, Japan. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Complete mitochondrial genome of the stone loach, Triplophysa stoliczkae (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: ...
Next Document: Glitch in the gradient: Additional education does not uniformly equal better health.