Literature review of studies using the National Database of the Health Insurance Claims of Japan (NDB) : limitations and strategies in using the NDB for research

• Material Type: 記事
• Title: Literature review of studies using the National Database of the Health Insurance Claims of Japan (NDB) : limitations and strategies in using the NDB for research
• Author/Editor: Maiko Suto; Arisa Iba; Takehiro Sugiyama; Tomoko Kodama; Misa Takegami; Reina Taguchi; Mariko Niino; Ryuji Koizumi; Kimikazu Kashiwagi; Kenjiro Imai; Noriko Ihana-Sugiyama; Yuichi Ichinose; Kenji Takehara; Hiroyasu Iso
• Publication, Distribution, etc.: 日本 : Japan Medical Association
• Publication Date: 2024-01-15
• Publication Date (W3CDTF): 2024-01-15
• Periodical title: JMA Journal
• No. or year of volume/issue: 7(1)
• Volume: 7(1)
• ISSN (Periodical Title): 2433-3298
• ISSN-L (Periodical Title): 2433-328X
• Text Language Code: eng
• DOI: 10.31662/jmaj.2023-0078; https://doi.org/10.31662/jmaj.2023-0078
• Persistent ID (NDL): info:ndljp/pid/14495081; https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/14495081
• Collection: 障害者向け資料
• Collection (Materials For Handicapped People:1): テキストデータ
• Collection (particular): 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション > 電子書籍・電子雑誌 > その他; https://dl.ndl.go.jp/collections/B00035
• Acquisition Basis: インターネット資料収集保存事業（WARP）
• Date Accepted (W3CDTF): 2025-10-21T09:04:40+09:00
• Date Captured (W3CDTF): 2024-09-26
• Format (IMT): application/pdf
• Access Restrictions: インターネット公開
• Availability of remote photoduplication service: 不可
• Periodical Title (URI): https://warp.da.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/13747952/www.jmaj.jp/detail.php?id=10.31662%2Fjmaj.2023-0078
• Periodical Title (Persistent ID (NDL)): info:ndljp/pid/14495078; https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/14495078
• Data Provider (Database): 国立国会図書館 : 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション; https://dl.ndl.go.jp

• Summary, etc.: <p>The use of the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) for research has increased over time. Researchers need to understand the characteristics of the data to generate quality-assured evidence from the NDB. In this review, we mapped and characterized the limitations and related strategies using the NDB for research based on the descriptions of published NDB studies. To find studies that used Japanese healthcare claims data, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Ichushi-Web up to June 2023. Additionally, we hand-searched the NDB data publication list from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2017-2023). We abstracted data based on the NDB data type, research themes, age of the study sample or population, targeted disease, and the limitations and strategies in the NDB studies. Ultimately, 267 studies were included. Overall, the most common research theme was describing and estimating the prescriptions and treatment patterns (125 studies, 46.8%). There was a variation in the frequency of themes according to the type of NDB data. We identified the following categories of limitations: (1) lack of information on confounders/covariates, outcomes, and other clinical content, (2) limitations regarding patients not included in the NDB, (3) misclassification of data, (4) lack of unique identifiers and register of beneficiaries, and (5) others. Although the included studies noted several limitations of using the NDB for research, they also provided some strategies to address them. Organizing the limitations of NDB in research and the related strategies across research fields can help support high-quality NDB studies.</p>
• DOI: 10.31662/jmaj.2023-0078
• Access Restrictions: インターネット公開
• Data Provider (Database): 科学技術振興機構 : J-STAGE; http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp

• Summary, etc.: <p>The use of the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB) for research has increased over time. Researchers need to understand the characteristics of the data to generate quality-assured evidence from the NDB. In this review, we mapped and characterized the limitations and related strategies using the NDB for research based on the descriptions of published NDB studies. To find studies that used Japanese healthcare claims data, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Ichushi-Web up to June 2023. Additionally, we hand-searched the NDB data publication list from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2017-2023). We abstracted data based on the NDB data type, research themes, age of the study sample or population, targeted disease, and the limitations and strategies in the NDB studies. Ultimately, 267 studies were included. Overall, the most common research theme was describing and estimating the prescriptions and treatment patterns (125 studies, 46.8%). There was a variation in the frequency of themes according to the type of NDB data. We identified the following categories of limitations: (1) lack of information on confounders/covariates, outcomes, and other clinical content, (2) limitations regarding patients not included in the NDB, (3) misclassification of data, (4) lack of unique identifiers and register of beneficiaries, and (5) others. Although the included studies noted several limitations of using the NDB for research, they also provided some strategies to address them. Organizing the limitations of NDB in research and the related strategies across research fields can help support high-quality NDB studies.</p>
• DOI: 10.31662/jmaj.2023-0078; https://doi.org/10.31662/jmaj.2023-0078
• Access Restrictions: インターネット公開
• Related Material (URI): http://id.ndl.go.jp/digimeta/14495081; https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/14495081; https://www.jmaj.jp/download.php?id=10.31662/jmaj.2023-0078; https://search.jamas.or.jp/link/ui/2025080993
• Is Referenced By: Impact of new antifungal medications on onychomycosis prescriptions and costs in Japan: A nationwide claims database study; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1360306505359343360; Prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus and age-stratified treatment trends in the Japanese population: A cross-sectional study based on the National Database of Health Insurance Claims; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1360306904404484736; Trends and Regional Differences in Usage of Primary External Fixation From 2018 to 2022 in Japan: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Open Data from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1360869855130464512; Trends in the Use of a Financial Incentive for Device-assisted Rehabilitation in Japan: A Descriptive Analysis Using National Health Insurance Data; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1390305721535350656; A new electronic medical record database linked to claims data and discharge abstract data (the RWD database) in Japan: Study design and profile; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1390582154177593600; Analysis of recent changes in treatment options for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma using data from a highly comprehensive Japanese national database: Impact of advances in systemic therapy and minimally invasive surgery; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1390584121650663040; Evaluation of the geographic distribution of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and treatments in Japan using data from the Japanese national database; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1390587675169771136; Difference in Strategy and Clinical Outcomes of Left Main Disease in Japan and Non-Japanese Countries; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1390866647406381568
• Data Provider (Database): 国立情報学研究所 : CiNii Research; https://cir.nii.ac.jp/
• Original Data Provider (Database): Japan Link Center; https://japanlinkcenter.org/top; 雑誌記事索引データベース; https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp; Crossref; https://www.crossref.org
• Bibliographic ID (NDL): 14495081; http://id.ndl.go.jp/bib/14495081