August 24, 2025Open Access

Beyond the freedom to refuse patient: a retrospective comparative study of emergency transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan

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Retrospective study examines transport outcomes during COVID-19 in Japan, suggesting DEP hospitals’ limited impact in emergencies.

Transport times were significantly shorter in regions with Dedicated Emergency Physicians during the pandemic, showing noticeable benefits.
In Group 2, transport times improved by 2.016 minutes and Group 3 by 0.606 minutes compared to nearby areas, highlighting regional differences.
Analysis focused on nationwide data from 2015 to 2021, considering areas both with and without DEP hospitals for comparative insight.
The study indicates that simply having DEP hospitals was insufficient for improved transport outcomes during the pandemic.

Hirata et al. (2025) studied this question.

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