OBJECTIVES

Global regulators and payers are seeking real-world evidence (RWE) for decision-making on new therapies. Each year more than 300,000 Japanese-language biomedical articles are published in the Igaku Chuo Zasshi database (ICHUSHI). While this database houses localized epidemiology and disease burden data, it is unclear to what extent ICHUSHI has been leveraged for reviews of RWE in English. We explored the usage of ICHUSHI as a data resource in internationally published research output and characterized output trends regarding publication year, design, topic and scope.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception up to February 2020 for articles that utilized ICHUSHI as a data resource in their review. Protocols and conference proceedings were excluded. Publication year, study design, study topic and scope indicators were extracted then assessed.

RESULTS

From 1,092 initial results, 301 met the inclusion criteria. The first English-language article reviewing ICHUSHI was published in 1999 at a rate of 1 article per year which steadily increased to 45 per year by 2019. The most common study design was systematic review (n=86) followed by systematic review with meta-analysis (n=85). Most studies were international in scope (n=210), while the remaining articles focused on a Japanese population exclusively. The most common disease area was oncology (n=68) while reviews on quality of life outcomes were scarce (n=4).

CONCLUSIONS

ICHUSHI utilization as part of RWE review is a relatively recent research practice but has increased substantially over the past two decades. This surge suggests there is a burgeoning recognition that ICHUSHI can deepen an evidence base particularly for systematic reviews. However, few reviews on health utilities were found. In Japan and beyond, impactful reviews that incorporate regional and local health data resources are likely to continue to grow in number.