A study on the impact of specific health examination utilization on the medical care expenditures

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19359
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58010:Medical management and medical sociology-related
• Research Institution: Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Science
• Principal Investigator: Mandai Nozomu 茨城県立医療大学, 保健医療学部, 准教授 (80516956)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 医療費 / メタボリックシンドローム / 特定健康診査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we sought to clarify the relationship between the specific health examination coverage and medical care expenditure of Japan. We used data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups and Overview of National Medical Expenses to compare medical care expenditure per capita and proportions of persons receiving specific health examination between Japan nationally and individual prefectures. The proportion of persons receiving specific health examinations was 49.0% for Japan overall and ranged from 39.3% in Hokkaido Prefecture to 63.4% in Tokyo Prefecture. We observed a significant negative correlation between per capita medical expenditures and the proportion of persons receiving specific health examinations (R = 0.553, p < 0.001). Interventions to increase the proportion of persons receiving specific health examinations by prefecture could reduce per capita medical expenditures and reduce prefectural disparities in expenditures.

Free Research Field

医療管理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果、1人当たりの医療費と特定健康診査受診者の割合との間に有意な負の相関がみられたため、特定健康診査を受ける人の割合を増やすことは、1人当たりの医療費を減らし、都道府県の医療費支出の格差を減らすという示唆を得ることができた。これにより、健診の受診の効果による生活習慣病発症の予防やそれに伴う医療費の削減を考察できることは、保健予防や医療政策分野の学術的意義や社会的・医療経済的意義がある。さらに、健診の受診勧奨や必要な受療を行わないままの放置者に対する保健指導対策の有用な基礎資料となりうる。