Current situation of the hospitalization of persons without family in Japan and related medical challenges

This study aims to determine the approximate number of hospitalizations of persons without family and the medical challenges they encounter in hospitals across Japan. Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to 4,000 randomly selected hospitals nationwide to investigate the actual conditions and problems, decision-making processes, and use of the government-recommended Guidelines for the hospitalization of, and decision-making support for, persons without family.