Temporal Transition in Nationwide Social Hospitalization

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530253
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied economics
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Kishida Kensaku 岡山大学, 社会文化科学研究科, 教授 (30346407)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TANIGAKI Shizuko 岡山大学, 保健学研究科, 教授 (80263143)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的入院 / 介護保険

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Social hospitalization is the unnecessary inpatient service use caused by a shortage of long-term care services or family caregivers. The study aim is to clarify the temporal transition in nationwide social hospitalization.
Inpatients aged 65 or older in general and long-term care beds from 1996 to 2008 were the focus of the study. The cost of social hospitalization increased from 422.8 billion yen in 1996 to 668.4 billion yen in 2002. After this, the cost started to decreased from 599.9 billion yen in 2005 to 391.1 billion yen in 2008. Most of this decrease was in long-term care beds, which was triggered by the reorganization of long-term care beds by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Free Research Field

医療経済学