Symptoms, Course, and Factors Related to Long-Term Morbidity, Including Differences between Infection Strains, in Patients with Long COVID in a Primary Care Clinic in Japan: An Observational Study.

The objectives were to investigate the clinical characteristics and course of long COVID, defined as the persistence of symptoms at least one month after the onset of COVID-19, in outpatients and to clarify differences in symptoms between SARS CoV-2 mutant strains. Our observational study in a primary care institution in Japan included 1053 patients with long COVID who visited our outpatient clinic between April 2021 and March 2023. Symptom distribution, performance status, and patient background at the time of the first outpatient visit were compared between infectious strains (Delta and before group and Omicron group).

A 2-item version of the Japanese Consultation and Relational Empathy measure: a pilot study using secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey in primary care.

Background: The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure is a patient-reported measure of physician empathy which is widely used internationally. The Japanese version of the CARE measure has very high internal reliability, suggesting that a shorter version may have adequate validity and reliability.

Objective: To investigate a valid shorter version of the Japanese CARE measure.

Diversity of academic general medicine: A cross-sectional bibliometric study of original English-language research articles in general medicine and cardiology in Japan.

Although research in general medicine is diverse, it has not been compared with research in a different medical specialty. The study aim was to understand the characteristics of research produced at Japanese university departments of general medicine and published in English-language journals, via comparison with another academic specialty, cardiology.In this cross-sectional study, a nationwide survey of the official websites of 82 university-affiliated medical schools in Japan was conducted in April 2020 to identify the heads of general medicine departments.

Problem-Based Learning in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: A Perspective from Japan.

Purpose: Japanese higher education institutions have long been striving for the globalization of medical education. Nagoya University (NU) adopted PBL as a means of enhancing intercultural awareness in globalizing medical education by working with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, under the Trondheim NTNU-Nagoya (TroNa) partnership for mobility and internationalization of child and mental health studies. This study aims to assess students' attitudes towards PBL and to suggest future developments in this form of education by introducing common PBL scenarios experienced at NTNU and NU.

Family Issues in Japanese Clinics: Concordance between Patients' and Physicians' Views.

Introduction: The objectives of the present study were to clarify the frequency and content of family issues for patients in Japanese clinics, and the concordance between physicians' and patients' views of family issues.

Methods: In this study, we used a cross-sectional design with a questionnaire survey. Participants were outpatients and their physicians in charge (four family physicians) at four Japanese clinics.

The effect of simulation-based education before a cadaver dissection course.

Although the methods for medical education continue to evolve due to the development of medicines, the cadaver dissection course still plays a fundamental role. The cadaver dissection course allows students to learn to handle instruments correctly while actively exploring three-dimensional anatomy. However, dissection comes with the risk of accidental injury.

Development of Kampo（traditional Japanese medicine）e-learning program: evaluation of the flipped classroom for medical students.

In May 2019, the World Health Assembly, in an unprecedented move, endorsed the inclusion of traditional medicine in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision. In Japan, traditional medicine (known as Kampo) is regulated by the government and prescribed by over 90% of physicians along with modern medicine under the national health insurance system. Although Kampo education must be included in Japan's core medical curricula, there are significant challenges to implementation.

Effect of physician attire on patient perceptions of empathy in Japan: a quasi-randomized controlled trial in primary care.

Background: There is limited quantitative research on the effect of physician attire on patient-physician relationships. This study aimed to measure the influence of Japanese family physicians' attire on the "human" aspects of medical care in terms of patient-perceived relational empathy.

Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, controlled trial conducted in primary clinics in Japan.

Preliminary study: Descriptive analysis of longitudinal data on the international session of the Japan Primary Care Association annual conference, 2012-2018.

Introduction: Japan Primary Care Association has launched an international session at annual conference since 2012. Longitudinal characteristics of the presentations were investigated.

Methods: Abstracts of the session were analyzed regarding type of presentation (oral/poster), category (research/clinical case/activity/review), and presenters' geographical location.

Establishment of the experimental procedure for prediction of conjugation capacity in mutant UGT1A1.

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) is an enzyme that is found in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and can reportedly have a large number of amino acid substitutions that result in the reduction of glucuronidation capacity. For example, adverse drug reactions when patients receive CPT-11 (irinotecan) such as in cancer chemotherapy are caused by amino acid substitutions in UGT1A1. We previously found that the extent of the docking when the hydroxyl residue of bilirubin was oriented toward UDP-glucuronic acid correlated with in vitro conjugation capacity.

Fatal case of TAFRO syndrome associated with over-immunosuppression: a case report and review of the literature.

TAFRO syndrome is a novel disease concept characterized by Thrombocytopenia, Anasarca, myeloFibrosis, Renal dysfunction, Organomegaly, multiple lymphadenopathy and a histopathological pattern of atypical Castleman's disease. A 58-year-old man was diagnosed as TAFRO syndrome by clinical and histopathological findings. After receiving intensive immunosuppressive therapy, his thrombocytopenia and anasarca had not improved.

Listen to the outpatient: qualitative explanatory study on medical students' recognition of outpatients' narratives in combined ambulatory clerkship and peer role-play.

Background: Understanding patients' narratives has been associated with methods of improving care that go beyond what may be regarded as a "narrow" view of scientific medicine. Medical interview training in which medical students develop understanding of the importance of patients' narratives is receiving increased attention. However, students generally receive education on patients' narratives that does not distinguish inpatients and outpatients.

How many patients are required to provide a high level of reliability in the Japanese version of the CARE Measure? A secondary analysis.

Background: Empathy is widely regarded as being key to effective consultation in general practice. The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure is a widely used and well-validated patient-rated measure in English. A Japanese version of the CARE Measure has undergone preliminary validation, but its ability to differentiate between individual doctors has not been established.

An autopsy case report: Differences in radiological images correlate with histology in Erdheim-Chester disease.

p16 activation caused by oncogenic mutations may represent oncogene-induced senescence (OIS), a protective mechanism against oncogenic events. However, OIS can contribute to tumor development via tissue remodeling in some tumors. Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, is one such tumor.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle: Swinging between globalization and regionalization of medical education in Japan.

Japan is well known as a super-aging society, with a low birth rate, and has been ranked as one of the countries having the highest quality of healthcare system. Japan's society is currently approaching a major turning point with regard to societal and healthcare reforms, which are influenced by international trends and regional needs. Development of Japanese healthcare human resources, including medical students, is now expected to ride the wave of globalization, while resolving regional problems in the training and delivery of healthcare.

Phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in the epidermis in adult-onset Still's disease.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is characterized by multiple systemic inflammation of unknown etiology. Although the typical eruption of AOSD is salmon-pink rheumatoid rash on the trunk and extremities, persistent pruritic papules and plaques have also been reported. Correlations between serum cytokines, including interleukin-6 and -18, and disease activity in AOSD have been reported.

Reliability and acceptability of six station multiple mini-interviews: past-behavioural versus situational questions in postgraduate medical admission.

Background: The multiple mini-interview (MMI) is increasingly used for postgraduate medical admissions and in undergraduate settings. MMIs use mostly Situational Questions (SQs) rather than Past-Behavioural Questions (PBQs). A previous study of MMIs in this setting, where PBQs and SQs were asked in the same order, reported that the reliability of PBQs was non-inferior to SQs and that SQs were more acceptable to candidates.

Factors influencing sustainable efficacy of smoking cessation treatment with varenicline beyond nine months.

Pharmacological therapies play an important role in the success of interventions for smoking cessation; however, long-term follow-up studies with analysis of influencing factors are scarce. We examined the sustainable effects of smoking cessation therapy with varenicline, beyond nine months as well as the factors influencing effectiveness. Our sample consisted of 193 patients (126 men [68.

The most important question in family approach: the potential of the resolve item of the family APGAR in family medicine.

Background: We aimed to clarify what aspects of family function are measured by the Family APGAR by examining its correlations with the fourth edition of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale at Kwansei Gakuin (FACESKG IV). Furthermore, we sought to confirm the usefulness of the Family APGAR in general practice.

Methods: We recruited 250 patients (aged 13-76 years) from the general medicine outpatient clinic in a Japanese hospital between July 1999 and February 2000.

[Alcohol-related problems in primary care].

The approach to treating alcohol-related problems in primary care settings needs: 1) to recognize the incidence of alcohol-related problems in primary care settings; 2) to know the way of screening; 3) to know how to help patients; and 4) to know enough about treating alcoholism to appropriately refer patients for additional help. This article looks research evidence about the incidence of alcohol-related problems in primary care and recognition of incidence and way of screening of alcohol-related problems by primary care physicians in Japan. Then this article describes evidence-based as well as author's experience-based approach to treat the alcohol-related health problems in primary care settings.

Limbic encephalitis associated with relapsing polychondritis responded to infliximab and maintained its condition without recurrence after discontinuation: a case report and review of the literature.

Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations are rare complications of relapsing polychondritis (RP). The majority of patients respond well to glucocorticoid therapy, but need to maintain it. Some patients are refractory to initial glucocorticoid therapy and to additional immunosuppressants, and end up with an outcome worse than at therapy initiation.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the CARE measure in a general medicine outpatient setting.

Background: Empathy is an important attribute in medicine, influencing both the process and outcome of consultations. However, there are no validated tools available in Japan to gather patient feedback on physicians' empathy. The Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure developed in the UK is widely used internationally.