ArticlePloS one2018
Aging of hospital physicians in rural Japan: A longitudinal study based on national census data.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The Contribution of Citizens to Community-Based Medical Education in Japan: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Regional differences for the risk of in-hospital mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a cross-sectional study analyzing data from a Japanese nationwide database including 86,339 patients.Journal of gastroenterology · 2026Article
- Colorectal cancer screening and management in the aging society: a narrative review of benefit, risk, and the biological imperative for rural and community medicine.Journal of rural medicine : JRM · 2026Article
- Experiences of developing competency in a network of nurse executives working at rural medical facilities: an ethnographic qualitative study.Journal of rural medicine : JRM · 2025Article
- Primary care physicians working in rural areas provide a broader scope of practice: a cross-sectional study.BMC primary care · 2024Article
- Geographical Disparities in the Distribution of Community Pharmacies Providing Aseptic Preparation Services in Japan.Integrated pharmacy research & practice · 2024Article
- Using national census data to facilitate healthcare research.World journal of methodology · 2023Review
- Gender difference of geographic distribution of physicians in Japan: three-point analysis of 1994, 2004 and 2014.BMC health services research · 2023Article
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- Spinal Cord Injury in Middle-aged and Older Adults Who Had Undergone Active Rehabilitation Treatment at a Remote Hospital: A Case Series.Progress in rehabilitation medicine · 2022Article
- Effect of Residents-as-Teachers in Rural Community-Based Medical Education on the Learning of Medical Students and Residents: A Thematic Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- The use of information and communication technology in Japanese rural clinics.Journal of rural medicine : JRM · 2021Article
- The Association between the Self-Management of Mild Symptoms and Quality of Life of Elderly Populations in Rural Communities: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Distribution and Retention Trends of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Japan: A Longitudinal Study.JMA journal · 2021Article
- Comprehensive Care through Family Medicine: Improving the Sustainability of Aging Societies.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- A Longitudinal Survey of Postgraduate Residency Hospital Type and Career Paths in Japan (1996-2016).Cureus · 2021Article
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- Nursing activities at clinics in rural areas in Japan: gaps between recognition of importance and implementation.Nagoya journal of medical science · 2020Article
- Perceptions of Residents among Rural Communities with Medical Group Practice in Japan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe disparity in the number of urban and rural physicians is a social problem in Japan. There may also be a disparity in the age of physicians. This study longitudinally examines both geographic and age distributions of physicians.
methodsIndividual data from the Survey of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists in 1994, 2004 and 2014 and municipality data from the National Population Census were used. The 2015 municipality border was applied to all years, and all municipalities were classified into equal-size quintiles based on population density. Both municipalities and physicians were longitudinally observed.
resultsBetween 1994 and 2014, the number of physicians per 100,000 population increased by 31.8% in the most urban group of municipalities and 17.4% in the most rural group. The average age of physicians was highest in the most rural and lowest in the most urban group. The difference in average age between the urban and rural physicians widened from 2.1 years in 1994 to 6.0 years in 2014. This disparity is particularly pronounced among hospital physicians (from 1.5 years in 1994 to 7.6 years in 2014). In the most rural group, the number of hospital physicians younger than 40 years old has decreased by 59.4%, while the number of those 55-70 has grown by 153% and the number older than 70 years old by 41.0%. Between 1994 and 2004, only 23.0% of hospital physicians younger than 40 years old were retained in the most rural group; the retention rate fell to 19.3% between 2004 and 2014, while the rates increased in older physicians.
conclusionsThe uneven distribution of physicians is increasing in Japan, as is the aging of rural hospital physicians. Shortage of physicians in rural areas may be more serious than that shown as their headcount.
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