Awareness-raising activities of advance care planning for community residents: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Japan.

Background: Japan is implementing awareness-raising of advance care planning for older adults; however, only 451 out of 1 741 municipalities were engaged in advance care planning awareness-raising activities among residents, according to a 2017 survey. This study examined advance care planning awareness-raising activities among community residents by local governments after the 2018 revision of the government guidelines, as well as utilization of the revised guidelines, issues in awareness-raising activities, and directions for future activities.

Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in prefectures and municipalities nationwide in 2022.

Impact of sending vouchers for a community-based oral screening program on dental service usage promotion among adults: a difference-in-difference analysis.

Background: Community- and evidence-based approaches are essential for improving dental public health. We evaluated the effectiveness of sending vouchers in a community-based oral screening program to encourage dental visits and improve oral health among adults.

Methods: We analyzed the data from April 2014 to March 2019 obtained from administrative claims and screening program databases in Tsukuba City, Japan.

Booster vaccination and post COVID-19 condition during the Omicron variant-dominant wave: A large population-based study.

Objectives: The effect of the COVID-19 booster vaccination and the long-term consequences concerning preventing post COVID-19 condition (PCC) remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of COVID-19 booster vaccination dose and vaccination timing before infection with the risk of PCC during the Omicron variant-dominant wave.

Methods: This population-based study included confirmed COVID-19 patients (extracted from the Health Center Real-time Information-sharing System) aged 20-69 years, who were infected between July 1 and August 31, 2022.

The role of psychotropics on the associations between extreme temperature and heat-related outcomes among people with mental health conditions: population-based study.

Background: The association between heatwave and heat-related outcomes in people with mental health conditions with and without psychotropics was unclear.

Methods: We identified people with severe mental illness (SMI) and depression, respectively, using Japanese claim data of Ibaraki prefecture during 1/1/2014-31/12/2021. We conducted self-controlled case series to estimate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of heat-related illness, myocardial infarction and delirium, respectively, during 5-day pre-heatwave, heatwave, and 5-day post-heatwave periods all other periods (baseline) within an individual, stratified by periods prescribed psychotropics and periods not prescribed psychotropics, respectively.

Regional disparities in home health care utilization for older adults and their associated factors at the secondary medical area level: A Nationwide study in Japan.

Aim: As aging populations shift health care from hospitals to communities, Japan has implemented policies to promote home health care. This study explored regional differences in home health care recipients among older adults and related factors.

Methods: We used nationwide data from 2020 to describe the proportion of older adults receiving regular home visits and the medical institutions utilized across secondary medical areas: urban, middle and depopulated areas.

Factors Associated with Non-attendance at a Follow-up Visit for Dyslipidemia Identified at Health Checkups: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Japanese Prefecture.

Introduction: Dyslipidemia increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Visiting a physician for follow-up is essential when dyslipidemia is detected during health checkups. We investigated factors associated with non-attendance at a follow-up visit for dyslipidemia.

Risk of postoperative pneumonia after extubation with the positive pressure versus normal pressure technique: a single-center retrospective observational study.

Purpose: A normal pressure extubation technique (no lung inflation before extubation), proposed by the Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists to prevent droplet infection during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, could theoretically increase postoperative pneumonia incidence compared with a positive pressure extubation technique (lung inflation before extubation). However, the normal pressure extubation technique has not been adequately evaluated. This study compared postoperative pneumonia incidence between positive and normal pressure extubation techniques using a dataset from the University of Tsukuba Hospital.

Associations between income/employment status and diabetes care processes, health behaviors, and health outcomes in Japan: A cross-sectional study using claims data linked to a questionnaire survey.

Aims/introduction: We aimed to explore the associations between income/employment status and diabetes care processes, health behaviors and health outcomes.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study used health insurance claims data between April 2021 and March 2022, and a questionnaire survey between December 2022 and January 2023 in Tsukuba City. The study analyzed the participants with diabetes (other than type 1) from those selected by stratified random sampling.

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications in older adults who use long-term care services: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Older adults requiring care often have multiple morbidities that lead to polypharmacy, including the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), leading to increased medical costs and adverse drug effects. We conducted a cross-sectional study to clarify the actual state of drug prescriptions and the background of polypharmacy and PIMs.

Methods: Using long-term care (LTC) and medical insurance claims data in the Ibaraki Prefecture from April 2018 to March 2019, we included individuals aged ≥ 65 who used LTC services.

Comparison of machine-learning and logistic regression models for prediction of 30-day unplanned readmission in electronic health records: A development and validation study.

It is expected but unknown whether machine-learning models can outperform regression models, such as a logistic regression (LR) model, especially when the number and types of predictor variables increase in electronic health records (EHRs). We aimed to compare the predictive performance of gradient-boosted decision tree (GBDT), random forest (RF), deep neural network (DNN), and LR with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LR-LASSO) for unplanned readmission. We used EHRs of patients discharged alive from 38 hospitals in 2015-2017 for derivation and in 2018 for validation, including basic characteristics, diagnosis, surgery, procedure, and drug codes, and blood-test results.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Post-COVID-19 Condition during Omicron BA.5-Dominant Wave, Japan.

The increased risk for post-COVID-19 condition after the Omicron-dominant wave remains unclear. This population-based study included 25,911 persons in Japan 20-69 years of age with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection enrolled in the established registry system during July-August 2022 and 25,911 age- and sex-matched noninfected controls who used a self-reported questionnaire in January-February 2023. We compared prevalence and age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios of persistent COVID-19 symptoms (lasting ≥2 months).

Change in the Proportion of Death at Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Associated Factors in the Municipality Level: A Nationwide Study in Japan.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have led to an increase in home deaths due to hospital bed shortage and hospital visitation restrictions. This study aimed to examine changes in the proportion of home deaths before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and identify associated factors.

Methods: We used publicly available nationwide data to describe the proportion of home deaths among total deaths from 2015 to 2021.

Relationship between health checkups and cancer screenings of wives and health checkups of their husbands: A cross-sectional study in Japan.

Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between health checkups, cervical cancer screenings, and breast cancer screenings (collectively referred to as wellness examinations) of wives and health checkups of their husbands. We aimed to develop strategies to encourage wellness examinations among married individuals in Japan.

Methods: This study used the 2019 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, focusing on married couples aged 40-64.

Situation, Education, Innovation, and Recommendation: A Large-Scale Systematic Review of Advance Care Planning in the Age of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for advance care planning (ACP) as a way to help mitigate the various care concerns that accompanied the healthcare crisis. However, unique obstacles to typical ACP practice necessitated the need for guidance and innovation to help facilitate these vital conversations. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the various ACP barriers and facilitators that arose during the pandemic and determine how ACP practice was affected across different contexts and among different populations.

Utilization of Japanese long-term care-related data including Kaigo-DB: An analysis of current trends and future directions.

Despite high expectations from the government and researchers regarding data utilization, comprehensive analysis of long-term care (LTC)-related data use has been limited. This study reviewed the use of LTC-related data, including Kaigo-DB, in Japan after 2020. There was an increase in studies using LTC-related data in Japan between 2020 and 2021, followed by a stabilization period.

Impact of COVID-19 on pediatric surgery cancellations: A retrospective study.

Background: Prevalence trends and reasons for pediatric surgery cancellation in Japan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have not previously been reported. This study aimed to compare the prevalence and reasons for cancellation of pediatric surgeries in Japan before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study reviewed the reasons for surgery cancellations scheduled for patients aged <18 years between the prepandemic period (September 2017-December 2019) and the COVID-19 pandemic period (January 2020-April 2022).