Inequity in physician supply: The impact of 2004's Postgraduate Training Program

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460843
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Juntendo University
• Principal Investigator: Sakai Rie 順天堂大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (40529939)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 医師供給格差 / 医師の偏在 / 臨床研修制度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The postgraduate training program, which began in 2004, reportedly created regional physician supply inequities, especially in more rural areas. If poorer population health outcomes resulted, inequities should be remedied. In our study, associations between physician supply and population health were explored, based on vaccination and mortality. We focused on pediatricians, for whom severe shortages were reported, and ophthalmologists, for whom numbers were considered saturated. Our study showed that areas with higher pediatrician supply had lower infant mortality and higher vaccination rates. Results support a policy to correct physician supply inequities. The number of ophthalmologists increased about 4% between 2006 and 2012, whereas physicians minus ophthalmologists increased about 10%. After 2004, inequity in ophthalmologist supply decreased, increasing for other physicians.

Free Research Field

医療サービス研究