Children's access to major hospitals estimated to provide pediatric inpatient services 24h a day in Japan.

Abstract

Of the 15.88million children in Japan, 14.72million (92.7%) lived within 30km of the nearest hospital with at least five full-time equivalent pediatricians. They could therefore probably reach it within 1h by car. However, the proportion of children living further than 30km away varied across under- and over-populated prefecture groups. More than half of the 1.16million children who lived in areas more than 30km from the nearest hospital were in the 12 prefectures with the lowest population densities. Plans for medical provision for children should therefore be formulated differently for over- and under-populated prefectures, with provision made for improved transport from remote areas. What is Known: • The number of pediatricians and hospitals with pediatric departments is surveyed by Japanese health authorities, and the statistics on medical resources in each prefecture are published on the Japanese government's website. • Accessibility of medical services for children has not been well analyzed in Japan. What is New: • In total, 92.7% of Japanese children lived within 30km of the nearest major hospital providing pediatric inpatient services. • More than half of the remaining children were residents of the 12 prefectures with the lowest population density.