Association between accessibility to emergency cardiovascular centers and cardiovascular mortality in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between accessibility to cardiovascular emergency centers and cardiovascular mortality in Japan. DESIGN: A semi-ecological study. SETTING: Three databases were generated: accessibility to emergency cardiovascular centers, population records and death records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for cardiovascular disease was adjusted by age and sex. Accessibility was represented by transfer time, number of cardiovascular emergency hospitals, and the proportion of habitable areas. Combinations of the three were divided into Categories 1-8 from the worst to the best, and the association with SMR was analyzed. RESULTS: There were 1998 cardiovascular emergency hospitals. The median of crude mortality was 0.16%. The median SMR of the reference Category 8 (transfer time <30 min and habitable area ≥50% with cardiovascular emergency hospitals) was 0.96, but that of the low accessibility Category 1 (transfer time ≥30 min and habitable area <50% without cardiovascular emergency hospitals) was 1.10. The SMR of accessibility Category 1 : Category 8 was 1.18 (95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.21). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased accessibility to cardiovascular emergency hospitals was associated with increased SMR. Areas with less accessibility and higher cardiovascular mortality were characterized by geographical variability in Japan.

Patient Safety: Residents' Viewpoints for Reducing Errors in Teaching Hospitals / 医学教育

Japan introduced a mandatory residency program in 2004. Teaching hospitals are now responsible for improving patient safety and the overall teaching environment. Questionnaires were sent to teaching hospitals in Kyushu to evaluate residents' work environments and to ask them about improving patient safety. Questionnaires asked about the work environment, experience with medical errors and adverse events, self-reported work conditions, personal anxiety levels about medical errors, and personal suggestions for decreasing medical errors. One hundred eight questionnaires were mailed, and 76 (70.3%) were returned complete and were analyzed. Most residents in Japan work long hours, feel extremely busy, and are anxious about medical errors; many of them reported personal involvement in medical errors or adverse events. Their suggestions to improve patient safety included improvement of the work environment, establishment of a resident support system, and better organization of medical charts and equipment. Considering residents' viewpoints for patient safety is important to help reduce errors in teaching hospitals.