Improvement in self-management for the prevention of hospitalization

  • Ryuichi Ohta, Family physician, Unnan City Hospital
5 February 2023

I have read exciting research titled “Impact of Primary Care Attributes on Hospitalization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study in Japan.”1 This research investigated the association between primary care quality and hospitalization rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The strong point of the study is the comprehensive assessment of the quality of primary care functions with the validated questionnaire and the clarification of the importance of primary care even during the COVID-19 pandemic. This result will motivate primary care physicians and stakeholders worldwide to drive the quality of primary care and prepare for the next pandemic of new viruses.

Furthermore, family physicians should improve attitudes and skills regarding self-management. The previous research shows older people suffer from social fear of COVID-19 and are impinged on social interactions, especially in rural contexts.2 Another report in rural contexts suggests that the preference for self-management to usual symptoms can improve quality of life (QOL) among older people during the COVID-19 pandemic.3 For the implementation of the results effectively to older community-dwelling people, family physicians should support their older patients’ self-management to sustain their health, which can contribute to further improving their QOL even in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reference
1. Aoki T, Sugiyama Y, Mutai R, Matsushima M. Impact of Primary Care Attributes on Hospitalization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study in Japan. Ann Fam Med 2023;21(1):27-32. DOI: 10.1370/afm.2894.
2. Ohta R, Ryu Y, Sano C. Fears Related to COVID-19 among Rural Older People in Japan. Healthcare (Basel) 2021;9(5). DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9050524.
3. Ohta R, Ryu Y, Sano C. Improvement in Quality of Life through Self-Management of Mild Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Cohort Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2022;19(11). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116652.

Competing Interests: None declared.
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