Impact of COVID-19 on paediatric care in Japan: Analysis of national health insurance claims data

To quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric care use compared to adult care and identify affected subdomains. Data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) for six fiscal years (FY2016-2021) were analysed. Pre-pandemic (FY2016-FY2019) and pandemic years (FY2020, FY2021) were compared to delineate changes in medical services for paediatric and adult patients. Virtually all individuals who received medical care in Japan during this period were included. In FY2019, healthcare utilisation by the paediatric population (under 15 years) accounted for 24% of 245 million first outpatient visits, 7% of 1.2 billion follow-up visits, and 2.6% of 297 million patient-days hospitalisations. In FY2020, outpatient visits of those aged 0-4 years decreased by 44% (first visit) and 24% (follow-up visit) compared to FY2019, and hospitalisations decreased by 47%, with the largest declines observed in community medical institutions across all age groups. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a substantial reduction in paediatric healthcare utilisation in Japan, varying by age and type of care. These findings may inform the rational allocation of healthcare resources during public health emergencies.