The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis
BackgroundTelehealth using telephones or online communication is being promoted as a policy initiative in several countries. However, there is a lack of research on telehealth utilization in a country such as Japan that offers free access to medical care and regulates telehea...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.i-jmr.org/2022/2/e39181 |
| _version_ | 1797734908101132288 |
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| author | Tomoki Ishikawa Jumpei Sato Junko Hattori Kazuo Goda Masaru Kitsuregawa Naohiro Mitsutake |
| author_facet | Tomoki Ishikawa Jumpei Sato Junko Hattori Kazuo Goda Masaru Kitsuregawa Naohiro Mitsutake |
| author_sort | Tomoki Ishikawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundTelehealth using telephones or online communication is being promoted as a policy initiative in several countries. However, there is a lack of research on telehealth utilization in a country such as Japan that offers free access to medical care and regulates telehealth provision—particularly with respect to COVID-19.
ObjectiveThe present study aimed to clarify telehealth utilization, the characteristics of patients and medical institutions using telehealth, and the changes to telehealth in Japan in order to support the formulation of policy strategies for telehealth provision.
MethodsUsing a medical administrative claim database of the National Health Insurance and Advanced Elderly Medical Service System in Mie Prefecture, we investigated patients who used telehealth from January 2017 to September 2021. We examined telehealth utilization with respect to both patients and medical institutions, and we determined their characteristics. Using April 2020 as the reference time point for COVID-19, we conducted an interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA) to assess changes in the monthly proportion of telehealth users to beneficiaries.
ResultsThe number of telehealth users before the reference time point was 13,618, and after the reference time point, it was 28,853. Several diseases and conditions were associated with an increase in telehealth utilization. Telehealth consultations were mostly conducted by telephone and for prescriptions. The ITSA results showed a sharp increase in the proportion of telehealth use to beneficiaries after the reference time point (rate ratio 2.97; 95% CI 2.14-2.31). However, no apparent change in the trend of increasing or decreasing telehealth use was evident after the reference time point (rate ratio 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01).
ConclusionsWe observed a sharp increase in telehealth utilization after April 2020, but no change in the trend of telehealth use was evident. We identified changes in the characteristics of patients and providers using telehealth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:50:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1c8d6c0a5ff94d60b4f483dcb4b9d713 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1929-073X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:50:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-1c8d6c0a5ff94d60b4f483dcb4b9d7132023-08-28T22:43:15ZengJMIR PublicationsInteractive Journal of Medical Research1929-073X2022-07-01112e3918110.2196/39181The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series AnalysisTomoki Ishikawahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8725-6508Jumpei Satohttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6032-1584Junko Hattorihttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7452-0306Kazuo Godahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0618-4157Masaru Kitsuregawahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4027-2994Naohiro Mitsutakehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1809-5426 BackgroundTelehealth using telephones or online communication is being promoted as a policy initiative in several countries. However, there is a lack of research on telehealth utilization in a country such as Japan that offers free access to medical care and regulates telehealth provision—particularly with respect to COVID-19. ObjectiveThe present study aimed to clarify telehealth utilization, the characteristics of patients and medical institutions using telehealth, and the changes to telehealth in Japan in order to support the formulation of policy strategies for telehealth provision. MethodsUsing a medical administrative claim database of the National Health Insurance and Advanced Elderly Medical Service System in Mie Prefecture, we investigated patients who used telehealth from January 2017 to September 2021. We examined telehealth utilization with respect to both patients and medical institutions, and we determined their characteristics. Using April 2020 as the reference time point for COVID-19, we conducted an interrupted time-series analysis (ITSA) to assess changes in the monthly proportion of telehealth users to beneficiaries. ResultsThe number of telehealth users before the reference time point was 13,618, and after the reference time point, it was 28,853. Several diseases and conditions were associated with an increase in telehealth utilization. Telehealth consultations were mostly conducted by telephone and for prescriptions. The ITSA results showed a sharp increase in the proportion of telehealth use to beneficiaries after the reference time point (rate ratio 2.97; 95% CI 2.14-2.31). However, no apparent change in the trend of increasing or decreasing telehealth use was evident after the reference time point (rate ratio 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01). ConclusionsWe observed a sharp increase in telehealth utilization after April 2020, but no change in the trend of telehealth use was evident. We identified changes in the characteristics of patients and providers using telehealth.https://www.i-jmr.org/2022/2/e39181 |
| spellingShingle | Tomoki Ishikawa Jumpei Sato Junko Hattori Kazuo Goda Masaru Kitsuregawa Naohiro Mitsutake The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| title | The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis |
| title_full | The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis |
| title_fullStr | The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis |
| title_short | The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis |
| title_sort | association between telehealth utilization and policy responses on covid 19 in japan interrupted time series analysis |
| url | https://www.i-jmr.org/2022/2/e39181 |
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