Change in Number of Patients After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster: An Analysis of the Data of the Patient Survey in Japan, 2008 and 2011
METHODS: The Patient Survey in Japan is the National Health Statistics Report, which is conducted in October every three years; this survey estimates the number of patients using stratified random sampling. The changes in the number of both inpatients and outpatients between 2008 and 2011 were investigated by comparing the data obtained in Iwate (coastal and non-coastal regions) and the control (other prefectures in Japan, except Fukushima and costal Miyagi where the 2011 survey was not conducted). Classification of disease and injuries was according to the International Statistical Classification of Disease-10.
RESULTS: Approximately 7 months after the earthquake, the number of outpatients with urogenital diseases increased in coastal Iwate (89→114) compared with the numbers in non-coastal Iwate (423→337) and control (277,972→259,994). The number of inpatients with mental disorders increased in coastal Iwate (1079→1102) compared with the numbers in non-coastal Iwate (3003→2730) and control (289,053→275,678). This trend was also observed in cardiovascular diseases (coastal Iwate [548→592], non-coastal Iwate [2862→2436], and control [269,912→245,739]). No apparent difference in the number of patients between the two regions of Iwate and control was observed for any other disease.
CONCLUSIONS: The patient survey in Japan suggested that the number of patients with renal diseases, mental disorders, and cardiovascular diseases have increased in coastal Iwate 7 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.