Utilisation of outpatient care immediately before emergency admission for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions in Japan: a retrospective observational study.

Objective: This study assessed whether patients with potentially preventable emergency admissions had limited access to outpatient care immediately before admission and whether they received appropriate outpatient care during their outpatient visits.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Setting: Linked outpatient and inpatient care records obtained from a nationwide claims database in Japan.

Impact of Concomitant Prescriptions and Lifestyle Factors on the Initial Course of Newly Diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Introduction: There is a close relationship between the relapse of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and lifestyle factors, including concomitant medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antithrombotic drugs, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. However, solid evidence is limited regarding the risk factors at diagnosis and initial disease course. This study aimed to explore the impact of concomitant prescriptions and lifestyle factors in patients with newly diagnosed IBD using a large-scale real-world database.

Identification of asthma cases in Japan using health insurance claims data: Positive and negative predictive values of proposed discrimination criteria: A single-center study.

Background: Asthma cases have been increasingly investigated using claims data. However, the validity of defining asthma cases using health insurance claims in Japan is unclear. This study aims to assess the positive and negative predictive values of our proposed discrimination criteria for asthma.

Development of algorithms for identifying patients with Crohn's disease in the Japanese health insurance claims database.

Background: Real-world big data studies using health insurance claims databases require extraction algorithms to accurately identify target population and outcome. However, no algorithm for Crohn's disease (CD) has yet been validated. In this study we aim to develop an algorithm for identifying CD using the claims data of the insurance system.

Current Status of Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Japan.

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been an established and frequently utilized approach in a variety of clinical settings. Nevertheless, real-world data about the clinical course of AF patients after initial catheter ablation remain limited, and these are mainly derived from particular registries or selected high-volume centers.In this study, we used health check-ups and insurance claims database from a Japanese insurance organization.

Current status of oral anticoagulant adherence in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation: A claims database analysis.

Background: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are widely used for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). We investigated the adherence of DOACs for years known to be associated with the effectiveness in Japanese NVAF patients, using a claim database.

Method: We performed a retrospective evaluation of NVAF patients in a claims database in Japan, who initiated dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban between April 2011 and June 2016.

Effects of the concentration of digestive surgical operations in regional Japan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the concentration of digestive system surgery and outcomes at a regional level in Japan, using time-series data.

Methods: We used nationwide data from 2008 to 2013, and analyzed the ten most common surgical procedures. The unit of analysis was secondary medical areas (SMAs), which cover several municipalities and provide medical services for common diseases.