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Fixing the anesthesia research crisis in Japan
Junichi Saito1,2, Kazuyoshi Hirota3,4, Yusuke Mazda1,5
1Working Group for Academic Promotion Project, Federation of Anesthesiologists, Kobe, Japan.
Anesthesia research activity in Japan has sharply declined since 2016, with junior anesthetists showing reduced interest. Senior faculty must encourage research to prevent anesthesia becoming a service-only specialty.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Anesthesia research activity in Japan has shown a concerning decline.
- This decline impacts various subspecialty categories and geographical branches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the current status of anesthesia research in Japan.
- To identify factors contributing to the decline in research activity, including gender, society branches, and subspecialty categories.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of abstracts presented at Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists (JSA) annual meetings.
- Survey of academic activities among university hospital residents and faculty.
Main Results:
- A sharp decline in JSA annual meeting abstracts since 2016, with no observed gender gap.
- A decrease in the neurological field preceded the overall decline; other subspecialties showed similar trends.
- Low rates of Ph.D. aspirants (20-30%) and a significant percentage of residents with no conference presentations or publications.
Conclusions:
- Junior anesthetists appear to be losing interest in research.
- Urgent intervention from senior faculty and mentors is needed to foster research engagement among trainees.
- A revival of anesthesia research is crucial to maintain its academic and clinical standing in Japan.
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