Abstract
BACKGROUND: It has been reported that the prevalence of asthma is on the rise in various countries; but studies on its effects on national medical expenditures are scarce. METHODS: From the outcome of the "Estimates of National Medical Care Expenditures" and "Patient Survey" compiled by the Statistics and Information Department, Minister's secretariat, the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan, medical expenditures on asthmatic patients in Japan were sequentially examined. RESULTS: It was found that the percentage of asthmatic patients to the general medical care expenditures has been on the steady increase. A closer examination revealed that the percentage of asthmatic outpatients receiving care increased while those receiving care as inpatients decreased. CONCLUSION: The relationships between the percentage of the number of asthmatic patients utilizing medical services and the expenditures for their care differed between inpatients and outpatients.