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A new study revealed the increased home death ratio in Japan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Additionally, high population density, large numbers of patients infected with COVID-19, and areas with numerous enhanced home care support clinics and hospitals were mainly associated with increased home deaths.

Tsukuba, Japan—Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the preferences of patients for medical services as well as the way to receive medical care. A survey by medical institutions providing home-visit care in Japan reported an increase in the numbers of patients wishing to receive end-of-life care at home and new patients requesting home care. However, the actual change in the percentage of home deaths remains unclear, and no study has investigated the characteristics of areas associated with the increased proportion of home deaths.

Therefore, this study utilized publicly available data to determine changes in the proportion of home deaths before and after the COVID-19 pandemic along with the regional factors associated with the increased home deaths.

The analysis revealed that among all deaths from 2015 to 2021, the proportion of home deaths increased from 2020 to 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the proportion of home deaths significantly increased in areas with a large number of patients, high population density, and areas with numerous enhanced home care support clinics and hospitals.

These findings suggest that home deaths increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in urban areas, and the enhanced home care support clinics and hospitals played a significant role in meeting the increased demand.

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This research was supported by a grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Health, Labour and Welfare Sciences Research Grant, Japan, and Research on Region Medical (21IA1010).

Original Paper

Title of original paper:

The change in the proportion of death at home during COVID-19 pandemic and its associated factors in the municipality level：A nationwide study in Japan

Journal:

JMA journal

DOI:

10.31662/jmaj.2023-0165

Correspondence

Professor TAMIYA Nanako
Assistant Professor Sun Yu
Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba

Related Link

Institute of Medicine