Observational studyBMJ open2024
Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visit behaviour in cancer patients in Japan: a nationwide study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A scoping review of real-world data sources for retrospective oncology analysis in Japan.ESMO real world data and digital oncology · 2026Review
- Cancer Education Outcomes and Risk Perception Among 11th Grade Students in Japan: A Second National Survey.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesLockdowns and outing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered attitudes towards hospital visits. This study aimed to investigate changes in long-distance visits outside of secondary healthcare service areas (SHSA) among cancer patients in Japan.
designRetrospective observational study.
settingInpatient data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We retrospectively analysed inpatient data from January 2018 to December 2021, extracted from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. The study examined whether the patient's hospital was within their residence's SHSA and compared the admission rates before and after the pandemic.
resultsThe data of a total of 2 394 760 patients were analysed. Admission rates outside the SHSA significantly decreased after the pandemic compared with prepandemic years (26.67% and 27.58%, respectively, p<0.001). Significant reductions were observed in nearly all age groups over 30 years old, but not in younger ones. Characteristics of patients' residences, including COVID-19 infection rates, population density and the number of regional cancer hospitals, were also influential factors. The cancer site was a significant factor, with the respiratory system showing a 3.77% decrease, particularly a 5.29% decrease in those who needed surgeries that are not highly specialised (p<0.001).
conclusionsAdmission to distant hospitals among cancer patients decreased following the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a restraint in their behaviour of visiting distant hospitals. The appropriate allocation of specialised hospitals will serve as a measure for the next pandemic.
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