Hiroo Ide

The dynamics of obstetricians and gynecologists in Japan: a retrospective cohort model using the nationwide survey of physicians data.

Aim:  A shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs) in Japan has been highlighted. We conducted a descriptive and retrospective cohort study using data from the Survey of Physicians in Japan, and analyzed the dynamics of OB/GYNs.

Willingness to pay for health care services in common cold, retinal detachment, and myocardiac infarction: an internet survey in Japan

BackgroundThe application of Willingness To Pay (WTP) measurement with Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to medical services is gradually increasing. Knowing what influences WTP is an important matter because validity of CVM in medical services remains controversial. The objective of this survey is to measure WTP for the treatment of typical acute illnesses and to analyze the factors affecting WTP.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted over the Internet, in which 795 men and women between 40 and 59 years old responded to questions about WTP for medical expenses in three hypothetical scenarios: common cold (CC), retinal detachment (RD) and myocardiac infarction (MI).ResultsMean WTP was

Postgraduate training and career choices: an analysis of the National Physicians Survey in Japan.

29.9 for CC,

Influence of Japan's New Diagnosis Procedure Combination-Based Payment System on the Surgical Sector: Does it Really Shorten the Hospital Stay?

2,233 for RD, and

Shortage of pediatricians in Japan: a longitudinal analysis using physicians' survey data.

8,976 for MI. WTP for RD and MI was lower in the low-income group. While WTP for CC did not vary with income, WTP was higher in groups whose current subjective fitness levels were low.ConclusionAlthough WTP measurements are criticized frequently for their validity and reliability, they are still useful for determining the economic value of medical services. Based on the results of this study, it is deemed necessary to enhance safety nets for low-income earners in regards to serious illnesses that incur high medical expenses. Further, it is recommended that the rate of co-payments be set relatively high with respect to mild illnesses for which alternative services are available.

The measurement of willingness to pay for mass cancer screening with whole-body PET (positron emission tomography)

Medical Education 2010: 44 : 289–297

A future estimate of physician distribution in hospitals and clinics in Japan

PurposeIn 2003, the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC)-based payment system was introduced on a trial basis in 82 major Japanese hospitals. We analyzed the influence of this system on hospital revenue and expenditure, focusing on whether it reduces the length of stay in hospital (LOS), particularly in the surgical sector.MethodsWe studied 120 patients hospitalized at the University of Tokyo hospital between May and July 2003, including 93 surgical patients who underwent operations for gastric, colon, rectal, hepatic, or mammary carcinoma; arteriosclerosis obliterans; appendicitis; adult hernia inguinalis; or varicose veins, and 27 nonsurgical patients hospitalized for recurrent gastric carcinoma, ileus, appendicitis, or mild acute pancreatitis. We analyzed the changes in profit per day in patients with a reduced LOS using the simulation model.ResultsReducing the LOS of the surgical patients resulted in a greater profit; however, there was minimal if any profit increase achieved by reducing the LOS of the medical patients. In fact, when material costs were high, profit decreased.ConclusionThe DPC-based payment system does not usually offer an economic incentive to shorten the LOS. Expanding our current system will reduce the LOS only in major hospitals, but it will reduce the national average LOS. Thus, the current DPC-based payment system needs to be improved further.

Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors for child’s physical growth and adiposity rebound of Japanese children: a longitudinal study of the 21st century longitudinal survey in newborns

Background:  Currently, there is a shortage of hospital pediatricians in Japan. In the present study, using data from the Survey of Physicians, Dentists, and Pharmacists in Japan, we analyzed the dynamics and distribution of pediatricians, using a time series approach.

Residency hospital type and career paths in Japan: An analysis of physician registration cohorts

ObjectiveRecently, we have seen an increase in the number of studies that measured the willingness to pay (WTP) for medical services using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and evaluated the benefits of these services. This study aimed to measure the general public’s WTP for cancer screening with positron emission tomography (PET) and to determine consumer characteristics that may affect their WTP.MethodsA questionnaire survey of males and females living in Japan aged between 40 and 59 years was conducted via the Internet. A total of 274 individuals accepted the offer to participate and were enrolled in the study. The study participants were divided into two groups: Group A (n = 138) and Group B (n = 136). Group A was provided only with information about the PET procedure and the high cancer detection rate; Group B was provided with additional information regarding the possibility of ‘false negative’ and ‘false positive’ results and the fact that the efficacy of PET screening for reducing mortality has not yet been demonstrated. Participants were then asked to answer their WTP for cancer screening with PET by payment cards approach.ResultsThe overall average amount consumers were willing to pay for PET cancer screening was

Selection and concentration of obstetric facilities in Japan: Longitudinal study based on national census data.

103.7 (n = 274). The average value in Group A was