As for the details of sampling and estimation methods, refer to the reports of the survey.
PATIENT SURVEY (Statistics and Information Department, Ministry of Health and Welfare)
This survey aims to make clear the conditions of patients who utilize hospitals or clinics and their diseases, and the method of payment for treatment by kind of treatment,etc. The survey started from its predecessor "Survey on Conditions of Disease Viewed from Institution" in 1948; and since 1953 with the inclusion of the survey on patients who left hospital, the survey has been conducted every year by the Ministry of Health and Welfare; however, from 1984, survey frequency has been changed to every three years.
This is a sample survey covering medical institutions selected by stratified random sampling by prefectures, and has been taken for one day designated by each medical institution during 3 days in mid October since 1984 (before 1983, for one day in July) by mailing survey methods to the administrators of institutions through the channels of prefectures and health centers. Patients surveyed are all of those who received treatment on the survey data at the survey institutions and those who left hospitals during September.
