Emergency Interventional Radiology in Rural Japan: Spatial Transfer Patterns, Temporal Workload Distribution, and the
Kento Hatakeyama1, Tomoki Tozawa1, Takashi Etchuya1
1Department of Radiology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan.
Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology : JVIR
|July 18, 2026
Summary
Emergency interventional radiology (IR) in rural Japan involves significant patient transfers and after-hours work, primarily for embolization. A centralized model may improve rural IR service delivery.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Healthcare Management
- Rural Health
Background:
- Emergency interventional radiology (IR) services are crucial but face challenges in rural settings.
- Understanding practice patterns is essential for optimizing resource allocation and patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize emergency IR practice in a rural Japanese prefecture.
- Focus on spatial transfer patterns, workload distribution, and procedural spectrum.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective single-center study of emergency IR procedures (February 2023 - April 2025).
- Analysis of patient demographics, referral status, transfer patterns, procedure timing, indications, and outcomes.
- Standardized transfer rates per 100,000 population were calculated.
Main Results:
- 150 emergency IR procedures analyzed; 64% were interhospital transfers.
- Median transfer distance was 40 km; median time to procedure was 339 min.
- 65.3% of procedures occurred after hours; embolization was the most common procedure (89%).
Conclusions:
- Emergency IR in this rural area is marked by high transfer rates and after-hours workload, with a focus on embolization for hemorrhage.
- A centralized, hub-based model with regional transfer systems is proposed for sustainable rural IR delivery.
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