ArticleInteractive journal of medical research2022
The Association Between Telehealth Utilization and Policy Responses on COVID-19 in Japan: Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.
Article in Interactive journal of medical research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Addiction-related problems in Japan: A regional perspective.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Review
- Medical care cost dynamics during COVID-19 pandemic: financial implications for Japanese health insurance system.Health economics review · 2026Article
- Regional Differences in Telemedicine Utilization by Patient in Late and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Japan.Health services insights · 2026Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on continuity of medical treatment for patients with chronic diseases in Japan: a retrospective cohort analysis.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Home Medical Care Utilization in Japan: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.Journal of general internal medicine · 2024Article
- A tale of two times: an exploration of healthcare utilization patterns before and during COVID-19 in Iran.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Treatment interruption in hypertensive patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: An interrupted time series analysis using prescription data in Okayama, Japan.Journal of general and family medicine · 2024Article
- Article
- In-Home Monitoring Technology for Aging in Place: Scoping Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2022Article
- Telemedicine Utilization Patterns and Implications Amidst COVID-19 Outbreaks in Thailand Under Public Universal Coverage Scheme.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
- Considerations for Creating a User-Friendly Telemedicine Service in Japan.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
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.
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