Research Trends in General Medicine Departments of University Hospitals in Japan

Abstract

Purpose The training of generalist physicians in university hospitals needs to emphasize development of their research role in order to continue improving their research capacity and their standing in academic hospitals in Japan. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to survey departments of general medicine (GM) in university hospitals in Japan to identify the research areas and themes pursued by academic generalist physicians. Patients and Methods The heads of the departments of GM from 71 university hospitals in Japan were enrolled. The main outcomes studied were the identification of the main research areas and themes in academic departments of GM, based on the classification of the National Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI): clinical research, public health, preventive medicine, medical education, basic science, health services and safety and quality. Results We received 47 of 71 replies (66.2% response rate). Clinical research was the most common area of research (62%), followed by public health and preventive medicine (14%), medical education (11%), and basic sciences (9%). Only one department identified health services and safety and quality as a research area (2%). There was marked variability in research areas across the different departments, with 23% of the research targeting the highest specialties, particularly organ-specific research in the fields of gastroenterology, cardiology, immunology, neurology, metabolic endocrinology, and hematology-oncology. Conclusion The training of generalist physicians in university hospitals needs to emphasize development of their research role in order to continue improving the research capacity and the standing generalist physicians in academic hospitals in Japan.

Large-Scale Observational Study on the Current Status and Challenges of General Medicine in Japan: Job Description and Required Skills

“…24 Another report from Japan suggests that it is important for GMs in university hospitals to promote research work. 25 Therefore, one of the challenges GMs face is the need to develop their research work and allocate time to conduct research. In order to increase research work, it is important to have a mentor and secure time for research (25% of daily work) and to conduct it effectively.…”

Role of Japan's general physicians in healthcare quality improvement and patient safety

“…This is one of the main reasons Hospital Medicine has become the largest group of physicians in the United States 4 . On the downside, in publication data indexed on PubMed by hospitalists that the author (TW) previously published, the quality and safety area of healthcare and the health service area accounts for about 40% of the world's total of the publication by hospitalists 5 . However, a recent survey conducted by the authors found that the combined research topics of Japanese university hospital general practitioners accounted for less than 2%, and our another study indicated only about 8% of the recent papers published by Japanese general medicine physicians in PubMed between 2015 and 2020 focused on QI and safety area and the health services.…”

“…However, a recent survey conducted by the authors found that the combined research topics of Japanese university hospital general practitioners accounted for less than 2%, and our another study indicated only about 8% of the recent papers published by Japanese general medicine physicians in PubMed between 2015 and 2020 focused on QI and safety area and the health services. This indicates Japanese academic general physicians need to be more active in producing healthcare quality and safety research 4,5 …”

“…Furthermore, the research interests of leading hospitalists in the United States, such as Dr. Sanjay Saint and Dr. Scott Flanders of the University of Michigan, with whom we have a close relationship, are also in healthcare quality and safety 4 . With effective networking helping us develop our expertise as generalists, it is possible to apply our knowledge in the cross‐disciplinary academic fields where specialists are otherwise not present 5 …”

“…This indicates Japanese academic general physicians need to be more active in producing healthcare quality and safety research. 4,5 Third, general practitioners' skills and knowledge of medical quality and safety will become an important subspecialty. 5 We believe that the practical knowledge and skills related to QI and safety will be a significant tool for general medicine physicians in future, as much as or more than knowledge of each subspecialty.…”