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BMC Health Services Research

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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Coronary Heart Disease | Research

Reduction in all-cause medical and caregiving costs through innovative health awareness projects in a rural area in Japan: a retrospective cohort study

Authors: Ayako Shoji, Kennichi Kudo, Koichi Murashita, Shigeyuki Nakaji, Ataru Igarashi

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2024

Abstract

Background

This study evaluates cost reduction in participants of a health awareness program (the Center of Healthy Aging Program, CHAP) in a Japanese rural area, characterized by an annual check-up and personalized interview on health issues and related risks immediately after the check-up.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study using medical and caregiving costs and Japan-specific health check-up results in Hirosaki residents stored by the local government, which were individually-based linked to the CHAP information collected by Hirosaki University. This is the first study that used anonymized data with individually-based linkages to both a research institute and a local government in Japan under a strict limitation regarding linking to third-party data. We included residents who had been continuously enrolled for > 6 months as of 1 July 2015. We compared 5-year all-cause costs between three groups (with CHAP, with Japan-specific health check-up, and no check-up) using a multivariate negative binomial regression model considering risk factors including lifestyle habits and an inverse probability weight to adjust for baseline characteristics: age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, baseline care level, and risk score of coronary heart diseases.

Results

A total of 384, 9805, and 32,630 residents aged 40–74 years were included for the CHAP, Japan-specific health check-up, and no check-up groups, respectively. The Japan-specific health check-up group showed older and higher Charlson comorbidity index than the others. After inverse probability weight adjusting, the amount of all-cause medical costs was significantly lower only in the CHAP group. Faster walking speed and exercise habits were independently associated with lower all-cause medical and caregiving costs.

Conclusions

We demonstrated a 5-year all-cause cost reduction in residents who participated in the CHAP and also suggested the effect of exercise habits in Hirosaki, which indicated the significance of individually-based data linkages to external third-party data for all local governments to improve the health condition of residents.

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Title: Reduction in all-cause medical and caregiving costs through innovative health awareness projects in a rural area in Japan: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ayako Shoji
Kennichi Kudo
Koichi Murashita
Shigeyuki Nakaji
Ataru Igarashi
Publication date: 01-12-2024
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Coronary Heart Disease
Published in: BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10836-0

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Reduction in all-cause medical and caregiving costs through innovative health awareness projects in a rural area in Japan: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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