A summary of the Japanese White Paper on Home Respiratory Care 2024

Abstract

The healthcare environment is undergoing rapid transformation, and the importance of resilience in adapting to the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) era is increasingly recognized across society. Following the White Papers on Home Respiratory Care published in 2005 and 2010, the Japan Respiratory Society, in collaboration with other academic societies and organizations, established the third White Paper on Home Respiratory Care Working Group to evaluate the current status and future directions for home respiratory care. A nationwide survey was conducted from 2021 to 2023, incorporating, for the first time, a dedicated assessment of caregivers and providers, in addition to physician and patient surveys. Among patients receiving long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), the proportion with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease decreased from 44.8 % in 2010 to 37.0 %, whereas pulmonary fibrosis/interstitial pneumonia increased from 18.2 % to 30.1 %. Inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation was provided by 70.8 %, while outpatient rehabilitation was available at 32.1 %. Overall, 56.3 % of patients sought guidance on recognizing signs of disease exacerbation. And patients had received prior instruction expressed a need for additional education on disaster preparedness. Among caregivers, the average age was 68 years, with 52.7 % reporting health issues classified as modified Medical Research Council grade ≥1. More than half of caregivers perceived caregiving as a significant burden. Additionally, 77.3 % of providers utilized disaster response systems for LTOT patients. These findings underscore the necessity for collaboration among respiratory-related academic societies, government agencies, patients, caregivers, and the media to facilitate comprehensive discussions on sustaining and improving well-being and to enhance information dissemination.