Analysis of Cancer Treatment in Iwate Prefecture – An Analysis of Health Care Regions Based on MHLW DPC Data

Abstract

Iwate Prefecture has the second largest area and the second lowest population density in Japan, therefore needing a system that can supply medical service efficiently. Although there are nine Secondary Medical Districts (SMD) and fourteen hospitals subject to the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC hospitals) in Iwate, four of the DPC hospitals are concentrated in Morioka SMD, the biggest area and administrative center in Iwate, and the other areas have only a few DPC hospitals. To consider the whole concept of cancer care in Iwate, we analyzed lung, stomach, liver, colon, and breast cancer from DPC data published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW). We analyzed the monthly number of patients and estimated the number of patients that each SMD and DPC hospital was capable of receiving, finding that the trend of consultation is different depending on the type of cancer. We consider that the DPC hospitals should think strategically about their functional compartmentalization, and that the local government should revise the regional health care planning.