Nationwide survey of care facilities for adults with congenital heart disease in Japan.
BACKGROUND
The number of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is increasing rapidly, but care programs have not been fully established in Japan.


RESULTS
Questionnaires regarding current status and resources of outpatient and in-hospital services, and management of pregnancy in patients with adult CHD (ACHD) were sent to 1,033 training hospitals for board-certified cardiologists. Useful replies were obtained from 458 hospitals (44%). In 417 hospitals (91%), at least 1 patient was followed in the outpatient clinic; however, only 14 hospitals (3%) had specialized outpatient clinics; 354 hospitals (77%) had in-hospital patients, but only 6 hospitals (2%) admitted >50 patients per year. Surgery for ACHD was performed in 232 hospitals (51%), but in 135 of these (58%), the number of operations was <5 per year. Pregnant women with CHD were managed in 157 hospitals (34%), although only 3 hospitals (2%) managed >10 cases per year.


CONCLUSIONS
In most hospitals in Japan, a limited number of ACHD patients have been followed up and specialized multi-disciplinary facilities for ACHD need to be established.
Department of Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Chiba Cardiovascular Center, Ichihara, Chiba 290-0512, Japan. tomot@olive.ocn.ne.jp
Tomohiko
T
Toyoda
Shigeru
S
Tateno
Yasutaka
Y
Kawasoe
Takeaki
T
Shirai
Yumi
Y
Shiina
Kozo
K
Matsuo
Koichiro
K
Niwa
D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy