Perceptions of Residents among Rural Communities with Medical Group Practice in Japan

Abstract

Elucidating the perceptions of residents regarding medical group practice (GP) among rural communities (GP-R) in Japan will be useful for establishing this system in such communities. A survey by questionnaire, as made by experts in rural health, was conducted in 2017. The self-administered questionnaire inquired about the perceptions of residents for accepting the GP-R into the community’s healthcare using seven major elements of GP-R. The questionnaire was randomly distributed to 400 adult residents who lived in rural communities with a recently launched GP and had access to clinics within the communities. Among the 321 respondents, comparisons were made between younger (≤sixties) and older (≥seventies) residents, and a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to extract the factors influencing acceptance of the GP-R system. The results showed that older residents had a greater disapprove of being treated by different physicians daily or weekly in clinics (p < 0.001) and the use of telemedicine (p < 0.001) compared with younger residents. Younger residents showed a greater disapproval of clinics closing on weekdays than older residents (p = 0.007). Among all respondents, regardless of age groups, over half of residents approved of the involvement of nurse practitioners in the GP-R. Living with family and children was also extracted as an independent factor influencing a positive perception of the GP-R. These data suggest that the promotion of GP-R should consider generation gaps in the approach to medical practice as well as the family structures of residents. The involvement of nurse practitioners can also encourage the acceptance of GP-R in Japan.

Digital primary care visits designed for different patient segments in the pre-pandemic era: A scoping review

“…Second, some studies found that although digital visits showed promise, face-to-face visits were still preferred [33,34,38]. Third, in five studies [38,39,[52][53][54], the clinicians concluded that digital visits are better suited for certain needs than others. All of this highlights the need for further development based on the patients' needs.…”

“…Another five studies described a service targeted at users with infrequent healthcare service needs. These needs included minor infections, such as sinusitis, urinary tract infection, or lower respiratory tract infections [50,51], low-acuity illnesses [52], and pregnancy or recent childbirth [35]. The solution studied by Alam et al [35] included synchronous communication, as well as the possibility of a phone call.…”

Two Cases With Type 1 Diabetes Treated With Insulin Pump Therapy Using a Telemedicine Approach During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Otherwise, the insulin pump introduction has several limitations, including healthcare access for frequent outpatient visits, mainly in early-stage for accustoming mechanical troubles and economic problems in the countries where CSII is self-funded [4]. Rural people in Japan have many difficulties with healthcare access because Japan is a mountain-or island-rich country, and approximately 10% of the population lives in hardto-move areas [5]. Therefore, they could not attend to outpatients frequently and felt demotivated to introduce CSII by their circumstances.…”