Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study
Background: The number of clinics offering telemedicine in Japan has been increasing. Regional characteristics such as population density and the number of physicians may be associated with the provision of telemedicine. This study investigated the relationship between clinics offering telemedicine...
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Mary Ann Liebert
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Telemedicine Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2023.0054 |
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| author | Takashi Kuwayama Kazuhiko Kotani |
| author_facet | Takashi Kuwayama Kazuhiko Kotani |
| author_sort | Takashi Kuwayama |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The number of clinics offering telemedicine in Japan has been increasing. Regional characteristics such as population density and the number of physicians may be associated with the provision of telemedicine. This study investigated the relationship between clinics offering telemedicine and such regional characteristics for each prefecture in Japan. Methods: Data were collected from publicly available information that included the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine (real-time synchronous type) among all clinics (in 2022), population density, and the number of physicians for each of Japan's 47 prefectures. An ecological study was carried out to determine the correlation between the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine and regional characteristics for each prefecture, and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis adjusted for regional characteristics were performed. Results: The min–max and mean levels were, respectively, 3.4–39.2% and 15.6% of clinics offering telemedicine, 66.6–6402.6 and 657.1 people per square kilometer of population density, and 185.2–356.7 and 274.0 physicians per 100,000 people. Geographically, the northeastern regions appeared to show a high percentage of clinics offering telemedicine relative to the southwestern regions. There was a significant negative correlation between the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine and population density (r = −0.31, p < 0.05; β = −0.31, p < 0.05). Discussion: The negative relationship of the provision of telemedicine in clinics with population density throughout Japan might be a reflection to ensure residents' access to clinics in less populated areas. Although further detailed studies are needed to confirm this, population density might be a useful measure for considering whether to offer telemedicine in clinics in Japan. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b14ab061282d45af8a81363985bbd858 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2692-4366 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Mary Ann Liebert |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Telemedicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-b14ab061282d45af8a81363985bbd8582025-08-20T03:09:55ZengMary Ann LiebertTelemedicine Reports2692-43662024-04-01519910410.1089/tmr.2023.0054Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological StudyTakashi Kuwayama0Kazuhiko Kotani1Division of Community and Family Medicine, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke-City, Japan.Division of Community and Family Medicine, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke-City, Japan.Background: The number of clinics offering telemedicine in Japan has been increasing. Regional characteristics such as population density and the number of physicians may be associated with the provision of telemedicine. This study investigated the relationship between clinics offering telemedicine and such regional characteristics for each prefecture in Japan. Methods: Data were collected from publicly available information that included the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine (real-time synchronous type) among all clinics (in 2022), population density, and the number of physicians for each of Japan's 47 prefectures. An ecological study was carried out to determine the correlation between the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine and regional characteristics for each prefecture, and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis adjusted for regional characteristics were performed. Results: The min–max and mean levels were, respectively, 3.4–39.2% and 15.6% of clinics offering telemedicine, 66.6–6402.6 and 657.1 people per square kilometer of population density, and 185.2–356.7 and 274.0 physicians per 100,000 people. Geographically, the northeastern regions appeared to show a high percentage of clinics offering telemedicine relative to the southwestern regions. There was a significant negative correlation between the percentage of clinics offering telemedicine and population density (r = −0.31, p < 0.05; β = −0.31, p < 0.05). Discussion: The negative relationship of the provision of telemedicine in clinics with population density throughout Japan might be a reflection to ensure residents' access to clinics in less populated areas. Although further detailed studies are needed to confirm this, population density might be a useful measure for considering whether to offer telemedicine in clinics in Japan.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2023.0054depopulationonline medical carephysician distributionrural medicineremote medicine |
| spellingShingle | Takashi Kuwayama Kazuhiko Kotani Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study Telemedicine Reports depopulation online medical care physician distribution rural medicine remote medicine |
| title | Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study |
| title_full | Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study |
| title_fullStr | Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study |
| title_short | Relationship Between Clinics Offering Telemedicine and Population Density in Japan: An Ecological Study |
| title_sort | relationship between clinics offering telemedicine and population density in japan an ecological study |
| topic | depopulation online medical care physician distribution rural medicine remote medicine |
| url | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2023.0054 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT takashikuwayama relationshipbetweenclinicsofferingtelemedicineandpopulationdensityinjapananecologicalstudy AT kazuhikokotani relationshipbetweenclinicsofferingtelemedicineandpopulationdensityinjapananecologicalstudy |