Objective: To identify factors influencing the hospital choice of patients who undergo colon cancer surgery. Methods: We conducted a multivariate analysis using micro data from the Patient Survey and the Survey of Medical Institutions conducted by the Statistics and Information Department, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, to identify patient and hospital characteristics which influence a patient’s decision whether to undergo surgery at a hospital where many colon surgeries have been performed (“high-volume hospital”). Results: Hospitalizations to high-volume hospitals were linked to factors such as referral from nonmedical facilities and the fact that the medical institution was a teaching hospital. Hospitalizations to high-volume hospitals decreased by about 8% for every 1-km increase in distance to the nearest high-volume hospital. Conclusion: Geographic factors and hospital function had an impact on admission to high-volume hospitals that are expected to contribute to functionalization of medical institutions and improvement of medical standards. This suggests that geographic conditions should be considered in planning regional coordination systems for specialized medical care.

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Objectives: To evaluate dental caries and periodontal pocketing in relation to saliva buffering capacity among two groups of Japanese adults aged above 35 years old (A35) or 35 years old and below (B35). Methods: After measuring the initial pH of saliva, samples were titrated with 0.1N HCl to evaluate the buffer capacity. Levels of mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli in saliva, DMF and periodontal pocket were also measured. Results: Among B35 group, DMF of adults with High buffering capacity was significantly lower than those of adults with Medium and Low buffering capacity (p<0.05). Chi-square test showed the distribution of subjects with high counts of mutans Streptococci or Lactobacilli into the three buffer capacities, which was not statistically different between two age groups (p>0.05). There were statistical differences for the mean periodontal pocket depth on the upper right incisor of adults in A35 with High buffer capacity and those of adults with any buffer capacity in B35 group. Statistical differences were also found for the pocket depth on lower left incisor and upper right molars of adults in A35 with High buffer capacity and those of adults with low buffer capacity in B35 group (p<0.01). Conclusion: High buffering capacity of saliva might be associated with better status of oral health among Japanese adults in both age groups.

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