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Background and Objectives Readmission-related healthcare reforms have shifted their focus from all-cause readmissions (ACR) to potentially avoidable readmissions (PAR). However, little is known about the utility of analytic tools from administrative data in predicting PAR. This study determined whether 30-day ACR or 30-day PAR is more predictable using tools that assess frailty, comorbidities, and activities of daily living (ADL) from administrative data. Research Design and Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large general acute care hospital in Tokyo, Japan. We analyzed patients aged ≥70 years who had been admitted to and discharged from the subject hospital between July 2016 and February 2021. Using administrative data, we assessed each patient’s Hospital Frailty Risk Score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Barthel Index on admission. To determine the influence of each tool on readmission predictions, we constructed logistic regression models with different combinations of independent variables for predicting unplanned ACR and PAR within 30 days of discharge. Results Among 16,313 study patients, 4.1% experienced 30-day ACR and 1.8% experienced 30-day PAR. The full model (including sex, age, annual household income, frailty, comorbidities, and ADL as independent variables) for 30-day PAR showed better discrimination (C-statistic: 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.77-0.82) than the full model for 30-day ACR (0.73, 0.71-0.75). The other prediction models for 30-day PAR also had consistently better discrimination than their corresponding models for 30-day ACR. Discussion and Implications PAR is more predictable than ACR when using tools that assess frailty, comorbidities, and ADL from administrative data. Our PAR prediction model may contribute to the accurate identification of at-risk patients in clinical settings who would benefit from transitional care interventions.

Home adaptations are integral for inpatients with fall-related fractures, especially during discharge. However, it is unclear as to how patient-implemented home evaluations can be prioritized with ...

An overview of housing assessment tools developed or adapted for research use in East and Southeast Asia is currently lacking. A scoping review was conducted to address this knowledge gap. PubMed, ...

Objective To examine the associations of 3 major hospital discharge services covered under health insurance (discharge planning, rehabilitation discharge instruction, and coordination with community care) with potentially avoidable readmissions (PARs) within 30 days in older adults after rehabilitation in acute care hospitals in Tokyo, Japan. Design Retrospective cohort study using a large-scale medical claims database of all Tokyo residents aged ≥75 years. Setting Acute care hospitals. Participants Patients who underwent rehabilitation and were discharged to home (N=31,247; mean age in years ± SD, 84.1±5.7) between October 2013 and July 2014. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measure 30-day PAR. Results Among the patients, 883 (2.9%) experienced 30-day PAR. A multivariable logistic generalized estimating equation model (with a logit link function and binominal sampling distribution) that adjusted for patient characteristics and clustering within hospitals showed that the discharge services were not significantly associated with 30-day PAR. The odds ratios were 0.962 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.805-1.151) for discharge planning, 1.060 (95% CI, 0.916-1.227) for rehabilitation discharge instruction, and 1.118 (95% CI, 0.817-1.529) for coordination with community care. In contrast, the odds of 30-day PAR among patients with home medical care services were 1.431 times higher than those of patients without these services (P Conclusions The insurance-covered discharge services were not associated with 30-day PAR, and the development of comprehensive transitional care programs through the integration of existing discharge services may help to reduce such readmissions.

Background This study aimed to establish the validity and reliability of a revised index for social engagement (RISE) in the Japanese context. Methods We analysed the data of 1377 participants over 65 years of age who had been admitted to two types of long-term care facilities (LTCF) in Japan: four health facilities for older adults and eight nursing homes. Resident level data based on the Japanese version of the interRAI assessment instrument were collected from 623 residents in the former and 754 in the latter. From these data, we calculated RISE by adding six dichotomous items on social engagement in the assessment form. Factorial validity was evaluated by exploratory factorial analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity by the correlation between average activity time and the RISE score, and discriminant validity by the correlation between cognitive levels and the RISE scores. Lastly, we assessed internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Results We identified a two-factor model in the exploratory factorial analysis with a factor loading >0.40, except for one RISE item. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the two-factor model had appropriate model fits. The correlation between time involved in activities and the RISE score was r = 0.45, while the correlation between cognitive function and the RISE score was r = -0.32. The convergent and discriminant validities supported the use of Japanese LTCF. Cronbach's alpha ranged 0.70-0.72. Conclusions Although further revision may be needed to improve factorial validity, RISE is reliable and valid for assessing social engagement of older adults admitted to LTCF in Japan. By using the Japanese version of RISE, the positive aspects of social functioning can be appropriately assessed and provide more evidence for improving the quality of care in LTCF.

Sweden and Japan are developed welfare countries facing serious societal and public health challenges due to demographic ageing. The objective of the present study was to provide a background to environmental challenges in the home, related to demographic ageing. Specific aims were to compare: 1) demography and household composition 2) physical housing stocks 3) indoor accidents and 4) housing adaptations between the two countries. Descriptive analyses were conducted using secondary data sources. Demographic ageing is projected to accelerate faster in Japan compared to Sweden, with overall lower fertility rates expected in Japan. In 2050, 39% of the Japanese population is projected to be aged 65 years or older, compared to 23% of the Swedish population. The Swedish ordinary housing stock was markedly older than the Japanese housing stock, with almost 80% of the dwellings built before 1980, while in Japan about 65% were built after 1980. High occurrences of fatal indoor accidents were noted in both countries, but for different reasons. In Sweden, falls was the dominant cause of fatal accidents among older people, while in Japan, in addition to falls, drowning and suffocation caused most of the fatal accidents. Housing adaptations were less frequent in Japan compared to Sweden, and the procedure for evaluating, granting and carrying out housing adaptations appeared to be more complicated in Japan. To decrease the occurrence of indoor accidents, identifying and removing "risk barriers" could be instrumental. In both countries, large-scale efforts are imperative to improve the housing situation for the ageing population.

For older people using long-term care services, the conditions of their life-space may be critical. The relationships between the physical housing environment and aspects of health were examined am...

To examine the effects of early postdischarge rehabilitation on care needs-level deterioration in older Japanese patients.Propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study.A secondary data analysis was conducted using medical and long-term care insurance claims data from a suburban city in Japan.We analyzed patients (N=2746) aged 65 years or older who were discharged from hospital to home between April 2012 and March 2014 and had care needs certification indicating functional impairment.The provision of early rehabilitation services by rehabilitation therapists within 1 month of discharge. Propensity score matching was used to control for differences in characteristics between patients with and without early rehabilitation services.Any deterioration in care needs level during the 12-month period after discharge. Cox proportional hazards analyses were conducted to identify the association between the exposure and outcome variables after matching.Among 2746 patients, 573 (20.9%) used early rehabilitation services. Care needs-level deterioration occurred in 508 patients (incidence: 18.3 per 1000 person-months), of which 76 used early rehabilitation services (12.3 per 1000 person-months) and 432 did not use early rehabilitation services (20.0 per 1000 person-months). One-to-one propensity score matching produced 566 matched pairs that adjusted for the differences in all covariables. In these matched pairs, the hazard of care needs-level deterioration was significantly lower among patients who used early rehabilitation services (hazard ratio=0.712, 95% CI, 0.529-0.958). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed similar results (log-rank: P=.023).Early rehabilitation services provided by rehabilitation therapists after hospital discharge appeared effective in preventing care needs-level deterioration, and involving rehabilitation therapists in transitional care may aid the optimization of health care for older Japanese adults with functional impairment.

AIM To identify facility-level characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days after admission to a geriatric intermediate care facility (GICF) (30-day hospitalization) in Japan. METHODS This retrospective cohort study used nationwide long-term care insurance claims data and a national survey of long-term geriatric care facilities. The study population was residents admitted to GICFs between October 2016 and February 2018. The outcome variable was 30-day hospitalization. The independent variables were facility-level characteristics such as level of healthcare professionals. RESULTS The final sample for analysis comprised 282 991 residents of mean age ± SD, 85.8 ± 7.2 years, of whom 12 814 (4.5%) experienced 30-day hospitalization. In a multivariable logistic generalized estimating equation model adjusted for facility- and resident-level characteristics, and clustering GICFs, the odds of 30-day hospitalization were 0.906 times lower (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.857-0.958) among residents in a GICF with dental hygienist than in those in a facility without. Furthermore, the risk of 30-day hospitalization was lower among residents who had been admitted to a GICF with higher staffing levels of pharmacists (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.941, 95% CI 0.899-0.985), registered nurses (aOR 0.931, 95% CI 0.880-0.986), care workers (aOR 0.920, 95% CI 0.879-0.964) and speech-language pathologists (aOR 0.926, 95% CI 0.874-0.982) than in those who had been admitted to a GICF with fewer of these healthcare professionals. CONCLUSIONS Transitional care including dental hygienist or higher staffing levels of pharmacists, registered nurses, care workers and speech-language pathologists may be a more effective way to prevent 30-day hospitalization. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1010-1017.

Highlights • We examined links between medical claims and health check-up data for older adults. • Patients receiving pharmacotherapies were more likely to participate in health checkups. • Patients with intensive disease control were more likely to be aged ≥ 90 years. • Linking these databases can improve evaluations of diseases control in older adults., The Japanese government encourages older adults to participate in annual health checkups designed to detect lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. However, individuals who are already being treated for these diseases are unlikely to benefit from health checkup participation. This retrospective cohort study of older adults evaluated the associations of pharmacological treatments for these diseases with health checkup participation and identified the disease control factors among patients receiving treatments. Using medical claims data and health checkup data between September 2013 and August 2014 from 820,215 older adults aged ≥ 75 years residing in Tokyo, Japan, we examined the associations between pharmacological treatments and health checkup participation using binary logistic regression analysis. Next, patients receiving pharmacological treatments were categorized into intensive, moderate, or limited disease control based on their blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c levels, and lipid levels; multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to identify the disease control factors. The results showed that patients receiving pharmacological treatments were more likely (odds ratio: 1.374; P

AIM To improve preventive strategies for readmission within 30 days after discharge among older patients receiving home medical care services, we examined the associations between readmission within 30 days and the medical institute factors among patients over 75 years of age. METHODS All patients over 75 years of age receiving home medical care services and who had been admitted to hospital or clinic and discharged between September 2013 and July 2014 in Tokyo, Japan, were participants of this study (n=7,213). The primary outcome was readmission within 30 days after discharge. We performed generalized estimating equations (GEEs) using a model with logit link and binominal sampling distribution to examine the associations of sociodemographic variables, the prevalence of chronic diseases and medical institute factors with readmission within 30 days. RESULTS Approximately 11.2% of the patients receiving home medical care services who had been discharged were readmitted within 30 days after discharge. Men, cancer patients, and emergency admission were positively associated with readmission within 30 days according to the GEEs. The rate of readmission within 30 days was lower in patients receiving home medical care services at home care support clinics/hospitals after discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.205, p value < 0.001) and in patients discharged from hospitals with over 200 beds (aOR = 0.447, p value < 0.001, vs. clinics) than in others. CONCLUSION Home care support clinics/hospitals, which can provide home medical care services around the clock, may help reduce the rate of readmission within 30 days.

Aim To investigate the association between children and their families' daily life routines and the implementation of safety practices in their homes. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among parents of 3-year-old children, who visited a public health center in Tokyo for their health checkups. Associations between the implementation of safety practices and family and children's basic daily routines were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression. Results Data from 336 parents were analyzed. Three items were found to be significantly related to the non-implementation of safety practices, such as "television-watching behavior: after 8:00 p.m." (adjusted odds ratio = 1.88, p = .02), "washing hands: not every time after getting home" (adjusted odds ratio = 2.24, p = .02), and "Family Routines Inventory: lower score" (a measurement of the routinization of a family's daily life; adjusted odds ratio = .83, p = .01). Conclusion The cumulative results suggest that the lack of safety practices implementation signify nonadherence to daily routine practices by parents.

Understanding the association of dementia severity with early potentially avoidable readmissions (PAR) could encourage the identification of the target patients for the health care providers to provide transitional care (i.e. follow-up and coordination care) to prevent early readmissions. This study examined whether dementia severity before admission was associated with PAR within 90 days (90-day PAR). This retrospective cohort study was conducted using a Diagnosis Procedure Combination database linked with routinely collected dementia assessment data from a large acute general hospital in Tokyo, Japan. Patients aged 65 or older who were discharged to home or facilities (n=8,910; mean age: 79.8 years, standard deviation: 7.4 years) between July 2016 and September 2018. The dementia severity was classified as normal, slight, moderate, severe dementia based on the Dementia Assessment Sheet for Community-based Integrated Care System 21-items (DASC-21) from the patient or their family at admission. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression adjusted for covariates (sex, age, insurance copayment rate, diagnosis at admission, Charlson Comorbidity Index, unscheduled admission, ICU utilization, surgical treatment, length of hospital stay, discharge place) to examine the association of severity of dementia with 90-day PAR. Among the patients, 225 (2.5%) experienced 90-day PAR. The adjusted odds of 90-day PAR among patients with moderate dementia were 1.571 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.102-2.240) and patients with severe dementia were 2.386 times (95% CI: 1.294-4.398) higher than the odds among patients without dementia. Patients with moderate and severe dementia before admission would be the target with high priority for providing transitional care.

Scientifically validated tools to assess housing accessibility for older adults in Japan have been lacking. To address this, a rigorous procedure of adapting an existing housing assessment tool—the Housing Enabler, developed in Sweden—for valid use in Japan was conducted. The original tool was translated into the Japanese language, using established translation procedures. In the process, researchers checked the appropriateness of technical terms and adjusted specifications to be in accordance with Japanese standards. An expert panel approach was used to validate the content of the Japanese Housing Enabler. Thirteen certified occupational therapists, architects and care-managers (average experience=14.5 years) participated as experts in the content validity study. They rated each item with regard to relevance for assessing housing accessibility in Japan, on a scale from 1(=Not relevant) to 4(= Highly relevant). They suggested adjustments and additions that they found to be relevant to capture particularities of Japanese housing and building design. After individual ratings, the experts gathered for consensus discussions on suggested revisions of the item list. As a result, the number of items was substantially increased (from 161 to 283). A content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each item (i.e., the proportion of experts rating the relevance as at least 3). Using a recommended threshold of CVI ≥0.78, more than 90% of the items were considered relevant, thus supporting the content validity. However, the large amount of items might jeopardize the feasibility of the instrument. Further studies are needed to evaluate feasibility, criterion-related validity and aspects of reliability.

For older people using long-term care services, the conditions of their life-space may be critical. In the present study the relationship between aspects of the indoor home environment and self-rated health was examined among older people in Japan. A dataset (N=2,017) comprising older people (aged 65+, 40% men) with different levels of ADL dependence was utilized. Associations between self-rated health and aspects of the indoor home environment (assessed with interRAI tool) were examined by means of multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for socio-demographics. For individuals with high ADL independence, only low access to emergency assistance was significantly associated with poor self-rated health. For individuals with low ADL independence, lack of safety, poor sanitary conditions, low or high indoor temperature and state of home disrepair were significantly associated with poor self-rated health. Home care service providers and policy-makers need to consider the importance of appropriate environmental conditions for vulnerable older people.