Trends in Healthcare Access in Japan during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic, up to June 2020

Koji Makiyama, Takayuki Kawashima, Shuhei Nomura, Akifumi Eguchi, Daisuke Yoneoka, Yuta Tanoue, Yumi Kawamura, Haruka Sakamoto, Stuart Gilmour, Shoi Shi, Kentaro Matsuura, Shinya Uryu and Masahiro Hashizume
Additional contact information
Koji Makiyama: HOXO-M Inc., 1-22-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Takayuki Kawashima: Department of Mathematical and Computing Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
Shuhei Nomura: Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
Akifumi Eguchi: Department of Sustainable Health Science, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
Daisuke Yoneoka: Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University, 10-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan
Yuta Tanoue: Institute for Business and Finance, Waseda University, 1-6-1 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan
Yumi Kawamura: Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
Haruka Sakamoto: Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
Stuart Gilmour: Graduate School of Public Health, St. Luke’s International University, 10-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan
Shoi Shi: Department of Systems Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
Kentaro Matsuura: HOXO-M Inc., 1-22-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
Shinya Uryu: Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
Masahiro Hashizume: Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: We evaluated the impact of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on healthcare access in Japan in terms of the number of outpatients and hospitalized patients as well as the length of hospital stays, during the first wave of the pandemic, up to June 2020. This observational study evaluated the monthly average number of outpatients per day at hospitals, the average number of hospitalized patients per day, and the average length of hospital stays per patient, from December 2010 to June 2020, using the hospital reports data, which are open aggregated data on the utilization of hospitals from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. These numbers were compared with those from the same period of previous years, using a quasi-Poisson regression model. We found a nationwide decrease in the number of outpatients in general hospitals and hospitalized patients, particularly in long-term care beds in Japan, as well as the excess length of hospital stays among psychiatric care patients during the first wave of the COVID-19. This limited access to healthcare demonstrated the importance of the long-term health monitoring of vulnerable populations and the need for urgent management support to healthcare facilities in preparation for possible prolonged pandemics in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19; healthcare access; Japan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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