Medication support system, and medication support method

Abstract

To provide a medication support system capable of supporting comprehensive medication management by an administrator depending on the actual medication history.SOLUTION: The medication support system includes: one or multiple medication support terminals 10 that dispense medication according to a medication schedule determined for each individual; and a management device 30 that communicates with the one or multiple medication support terminals 10. The management device 30 generates a medication behavior history of one or more subjects from the operation history of one or more medication support terminals 10 and outputs the same on a display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medication support system and a medication support method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technology described in JP 2013-250890 A (Patent Document 1) for supporting proper medication. This publication states that "a medication schedule is created according to the lifestyle habits that differ from person to person, and an alarm setting according to the importance of the medication is easily performed." and "A medication information management system is configured such that a medication instruction information management server 10, a medication provider device 40, 50, and a medication recipient device 20, 30 are connected via a network, and the medication instruction information management server 10 is equipped with a processing unit 12 that generates medication schedule information for each medication period, which corresponds to a medication name, a dosage, a medication time, and an alarm setting indicating whether or not to issue an alarm to the medication recipient, for each medication time period on each day of the week, from medication information provision information acquired from the medication provider device 40, 50 and lifestyle habit information acquired from the medication recipient device 20, 30, and a communication interface unit 14 that transmits the medication schedule information to the medication recipient device 20, 30." In addition, JP 2014-194716 A (Patent Document 2) states that "the device has a medication-related data input means for inputting medication-related data relating to medication time information indicating the time each medication should be taken, dosage information indicating the amount of medication taken per time, and dosage information indicating the total amount, a means for storing a photograph of the appearance of each medication in association with the medication, a means for displaying information such as the arrival of medication time and the appearance of the medication to be taken, and a means for registering notification conditions and notification destinations related to abnormalities or low remaining medication, and for reporting an alarm of abnormalities or low remaining medication to a specified destination when the notification conditions are met." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-250890 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2014-194716 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the above-mentioned conventional technology, it is possible to send a notification urging the user to take each medicine, and if a user forgets to take a medicine, a notification can be sent to a specified address. However, the conventional technology does not take into consideration the management of whether or not a drug has actually been taken and how to respond to the result, nor does it take into consideration the comprehensive management of a large number of drugs taken over a long period of time. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to support comprehensive medication management by a manager based on actual medication history. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, one representative medication support system of the present invention comprises one or more medication support terminals that dispense medication according to a medication schedule determined for each subject, and a management device that communicates with the one or more medication support terminals, and is characterized in that the management device generates and displays the medication behavior history of one or more of the subjects from the operation history of the one or more medication support terminals. Furthermore, one representative medication support method of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a step in which one or more medication support terminals that dispense medication according to a medication schedule determined for each subject transmit an operation history to a management device, a step in which the management device generates a medication behavior history of one or more of the subjects from the operation history of the one or more medication support terminals, and a step in which the management device displays and outputs the medication behavior history. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to support comprehensive medication management by a manager according to actual medication history. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] Diagram of the medication support system [Diagram 2] Configuration diagram of medication support terminal [Diagram 3] Flowchart showing the operation of the medication support terminal [Figure 4] Management device configuration diagram [Diagram 5] Examples of proposal management data [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the management device; [Figure 7] Example of device list screen [Figure 8] Example of the history display screen [Figure 9] Example of alarm confirmation screen DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0009] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a medication support system. In Fig. 1, patients Pa1 to Pa3 are subjects of medication support. A medication support terminal 10 is assigned to each of the patients Pa1 to Pa3.

[0010] The medication support terminal 10 stores a medication schedule determined for a patient to which the medication support terminal 10 is assigned. The medication support terminal 10 dispenses medicine according to the stored medication schedule.

[0011] Specifically, the medication support terminal 10 ejects one cassette for each medication timing. The cassette stores a set of medication to be taken at that timing. The medication support terminal 10 is configured to store, for example, four types of cassettes, seven of each type. The four types of cassettes can be used for morning, midday, night, and emergency use. By using the cassettes in this way and storing seven of each type, the medication support terminal 10 can support one week's worth of medication.

[0012] The medication schedule is data that associates appropriate time periods for medication with types of cassettes. The medication support terminal 10 monitors the time, refers to the medication schedule, and notifies the patient when the time period designated as the medication timing arrives. When the medication support terminal 10 receives an ejection operation during the medication timing period, it ejects the cassette and registers the cassette ejection time in the operation history in association with the type of cassette.

[0013] Each medication support terminal 10 is installed, for example, in the home of each patient. Each medication support terminal 10 is communicably connected to the management device 30 and transmits an operation history to the management device 30.

[0014] The management device 30 generates a medication behavior history of the subject from the operation history of the medication support terminal 10. Furthermore, the management device 30 generates proposal information to be proposed to the manager Ph1 who manages medication based on the medication behavior history. The management device 30 displays and outputs the medication behavior history and the proposal information to the manager Ph1. The manager Ph1 is, for example, a pharmacist who visits patients as necessary and refills the medication support terminal 10 with medicine. Furthermore, the manager Ph1 can access the management device 30 from any location. The management device 30 may be a server on the cloud, but in this embodiment, for convenience, an example is given in which the management device 30 is installed in the pharmacy where the manager Ph1 works.

[0015] The administrator Ph1 can remotely check the medication history of each patient, enabling the administrator to take prompt action based on the actual medication history. In addition, the management device 30 outputs an alarm when the medication history indicates an inappropriate state, and outputs a method of dealing with the inappropriate state as suggested information. This allows the manager Ph1 to provide appropriate medication management and medication guidance in a timely manner. In addition, the management device 30 proposes changes to the medication schedule based on the medication behavior history. In addition, the management device 30 proposes a visit schedule for the manager Ph1 to visit the patient based on the medication behavior history. By receiving these proposals regarding the medication schedule and visit schedule, the manager Ph1 can efficiently handle the patient's medication.

[0016] 2 is a configuration diagram of the medication support terminal 10. The medication support terminal 10 includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a cassette storage unit 14, a cassette ejection mechanism 15, a human sensor 16, a display operation unit 17, and a speaker 18.

[0017] The communication unit 11 is a communication interface that communicates with the management device 30 . The control unit 12 controls the operation of the medication support terminal 10. The control unit 12 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 13 stores the medication schedule and the operation history. The storage unit 13 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive.

[0018] The cassette storage units 14 store cassettes. For example, four cassette storage units 14 are provided corresponding to four types of cassettes. The cassette ejection mechanism 15 is a mechanism for ejecting the cassette stored in the cassette storage section 14 from the ejection opening.

[0019] The human presence sensor 16 is used to determine whether or not a person is present around the medication support terminal 10. The human presence sensor 16 is, for example, an infrared sensor. The display operation unit 17 notifies the patient by displaying information and receives operations from the patient. The display operation unit 17 is, for example, a touch panel display. The speaker 18 provides audio notifications to the patient.

[0020] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the medication support terminal 10. The medication support terminal 10 starts the time, and sequentially executes the processes from step S101 to step S107. In step S101, the control unit 12 reads out the medication schedule from the storage unit 13 and detects the start of a time period (medication time period) designated as the medication timing. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0021] In step S102, the control unit 12 notifies the patient that it is time to take the medication. This notification can be made by using a display output from the display operation unit 17 and a voice output from the speaker 18. Alternatively, the notification can be made by using the output from the human presence sensor 16 and determining that there is a person around the medication support terminal 10. After the notification, the control unit 12 proceeds to step S103.

[0022] In step S103, the control unit 12 judges whether or not an operation to remove the cassette has been accepted. The operation to remove the cassette may be accepted by the display operation unit 17, or a dedicated button may be provided. If the operation to remove the cassette has been accepted, the process proceeds to step S104. If the operation to remove the cassette has not been accepted, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0023] In step S104, the cassette ejection mechanism 15 ejects the cassette stored in the cassette storage section 14 from the ejection port. After that, the process proceeds to step S105. In step S105, the control section 12 adds the cassette ejection time to the operation history in association with the type of the cassette, and then proceeds to step S107.

[0024] In step S106, the control unit 12 determines whether the medication time slot has ended. If the medication time slot has not ended, the process proceeds to step S102. If the medication time slot has ended, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0025] In step S107, the control unit 12 transmits the operation history to the management device 30, and ends the process. The operation history may be transmitted, for example, immediately after step S105 or step S107. Alternatively, the operation history may be stored and transmitted periodically. In FIG. 3, the operation history for the medicine with the specified timing for taking the medicine has been described, but the operation history can include other information. For example, the control unit 12 registers in the operation history the history of ejection of the cassette for emergency use, the history of detection by the human presence sensor, the cassette replacement date, the number of remaining medicines, and the like. The cassette for emergency use can be ejected if it is not within a predetermined time from the last ejection. When an operation to remove the cassette for emergency use is received, the control unit 12 refers to the operation history to determine whether or not to eject it, and adds to the operation history when it is ejected. The predetermined time that determines whether or not to eject the cassette for emergency use is set appropriately according to the medicine contained in the cassette.

[0026] 4 is a configuration diagram of the management device 30. The management device 30 includes a communication unit 31, a control unit 32, a storage unit 33, a display unit , and an operation unit .

[0027] The communication unit 31 is a communication interface that communicates with the medication support terminal 10. The control unit 32 controls the operation of the management device 30. The control unit 32 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 32 includes a terminal management unit 41, an operation history management unit 42, a medication behavior generation unit 43, and a proposal processing unit 44.

[0028] The storage unit 33 is, for example, a hard disk drive or a solid state drive. The storage unit 33 stores terminal management data 51, proposal management data 52, a terminal operation history 53, and a medication behavior history 54.

[0029] The display unit 34 displays and outputs to the administrator. The display unit 34 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 35 receives operation input from the administrator and is, for example, a keyboard and a pointing device.

[0030] The terminal management unit 41 registers and manages information related to the medication support terminal 10 in the terminal management data 51. The information related to the medication support terminal 10 includes the terminal ID, the address of the installation location, the patient's name, the patient's contact information, the patient's family contact information, the patient's care manager contact information, the medication schedule, and the like.

[0031] The operation history management unit 42 associates the operation history received from the medication support terminal 10 with the terminal ID and manages it as a terminal operation history 53. The medication behavior generation unit 43 uses the terminal operation history 53 to generate a medication behavior history 54. The medication behavior generation unit 43 generates the medication behavior history 54 for each medication support terminal 10, that is, for each patient. Furthermore, the medication behavior generation unit 43 can appropriately display and output the medication behavior history 54 on the display unit 34.

[0032] The proposal processing unit 44 generates proposal information to be proposed to the manager Ph1 based on the terminal operation history 53 and the medication behavior history 54, and displays it on the display unit 34. The relationship between the state indicated by the terminal operation history 53 and the medication behavior history 54 and the proposal information to be generated is indicated in the proposal management data 52.

[0033] 5 is a specific example of the proposal management data 52. The proposal management data 52 is data that associates an alarm number, a state, an alarm level, and a proposal content. The alarm number is identification information that identifies an alarm. The state is determined by a terminal operation history 53 and a medication behavior history 54. The alarm level indicates the urgency of the notification to the administrator, and the higher the alarm level, the higher the urgency.

[0034] Alarm number "1" in Figure 5 indicates that there is no remaining medication, the alarm level is "1," and the suggestion is "Contact family and care manager." Alarm number "2" indicates that the terminal is offline, the alarm level is "1," and the suggested content is "Contact family and care manager" and "Contact patient." Alarm number "3" indicates that a dose of medication has not been taken out, the alarm level is "1," and the suggested content is "Contact the family or care manager" and "Contact the patient." Alarm number "4" indicates that one day's worth of medicine has not been taken out for a consecutive day, and the alarm level is "2", with suggestions such as "Contact family and care manager", "Contact patient", and "Forced ejection of medicine". Note that forced ejection is a process in which the management device 30 forces the medication support terminal 10 to eject the corresponding medicine cassette.

[0035] Alarm number "5" indicates that the total number of medications taken has not been equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the alarm level is "1," and the suggestion is to "change the medication schedule." Alarm number "6" indicates that the number of times emergency medication is taken is high, the alarm level is "1", and the suggestion is to "contact a doctor." Alarm number "7" indicates that there has been no reaction from the human sensor for one day, the alarm level is "2," and the suggested actions are "Contact family and care manager" and "Contact patient."

[0036] In addition to these examples, the relationship between the state and the suggestion can be set as appropriate. For example, it is possible to create and suggest a visit schedule that prioritizes replenishing medication support terminals 10 that have no remaining medication.

[0037] When proposing a change to the medication schedule, the proposal processing unit 44 generates a new medication schedule based on the medication behavior history 54 so that the medication time period includes times when medication was frequently taken and times when the probability of detecting people was high. For example, if a patient often forgets to take their morning medication, it may be suggested that they take both their morning and afternoon medication or change the type of medication. Also, if the medication is always taken out in the latter half of the medication time slot, a suggestion may be made to shift the medication time slot later. When generating a medication schedule, it is possible to set, for example, the intervals that should be allowed between doses, and the conditions for such doses are adjusted to the most stringent conditions of the multiple drugs contained in the cassette. Similarly, if multiple drugs to be placed in a cassette include drugs that require strict management, the alarm level may be raised to match the drug with the most stringent conditions.

[0038] 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the management device 30. First, the management device 30 displays a login screen on the display unit 34. When a proper login operation is received from the administrator Ph1, the management device 30 displays a terminal list screen on the display unit 34. The terminal list screen shows an overview of the status of multiple medication support terminals 10.

[0039] When an alarm confirmation operation is received on the terminal list screen, the management device 30 displays an alarm confirmation screen on the display unit 34. When a history display operation is received on the terminal list screen, the management device 30 displays a history screen on the display unit 34.

[0040] Similarly, when an alarm confirmation operation is received on the history screen, the management device 30 displays an alarm confirmation screen on the display unit 34 . Furthermore, when a history display operation is received on the alarm confirmation screen, the management device 30 displays a history screen on the display unit 34.

[0041] When a medication schedule change operation is accepted on the alarm confirmation screen, the management device 30 displays a medication schedule change screen. The medication schedule change screen is a screen that displays the current medication schedule and one or more proposed new medication schedules for comparison and accepts a selection from the administrator Ph1. When a contact operation is received on the alarm confirmation screen, the management device 30 displays a contact display screen. The contact display screen is a screen that displays, for example, the name and telephone number of a contact. When a forced ejection operation is accepted on the alarm confirmation screen, the management device 30 displays a forced ejection screen. The forced ejection screen is a screen for accepting the selection of the medication support terminal 10 and the type of cassette to be forcibly ejected, and for causing the medication support terminal 10 to execute the forced ejection.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a specific example of a terminal list screen. The terminal list screen displays the terminal ID, history summary, and alarm summary. The history summary indicates the medication status, cassette replacement date, etc. The alarm summary indicates the content of the alarm that has occurred as a character string, and indicates the alarm level by different display modes. The operation of selecting the history summary is a history display operation. The operation of selecting the alarm summary is an alarm confirmation operation. The medication support terminals 10 in the terminal list can be sorted in any order, such as by visit date, priority, replacement date, untaken medication, remaining medication, or alarm level.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a specific example of a history display screen. The history display screen displays the terminal ID, whether or not the device is online, any alarms currently occurring, and the medication action history. The medication action history shows the actual medication taking results for each day. Specifically, the horizontal axis shows time, with the period from the start of the medication time slot in the medication schedule to the cassette ejection time being filled in black, and the period from the cassette ejection time to the end of the medication time slot being shaded. The cassette ejection time can be estimated as the time when the medication was taken, and the earlier the medication is taken within the medication time slot, the larger the shaded area becomes. If the entire medication time slot is filled in black, it indicates that the medication was not taken within the medication time slot. In the example of Figure 8, there is a continuous day's worth of medicine that has not been taken out since the evening of February 9th.

[0044] As shown in Figure 8, by arranging the history of medication behavior on a daily basis, it is possible to compare with the previous day and observe trends. For example, it is easy to see if the time to take the medicine is gradually getting later, if the patient is taking the medicine at the same time every day, or if the patient tends to forget to take the medicine on Monday mornings. It may also be possible to use it as an interface. For example, the medication schedule may be changed by expanding, contracting, or moving the history band, and the change may be reflected in the medication support terminal 10. In addition, the cassette may be forcibly ejected by remote control by clicking on the band of untaken medication.

[0045] Fig. 9 is a specific example of an alarm confirmation screen. The alarm confirmation screen includes the terminal ID, whether or not the device is online, the alarm content, and a response button. In Fig. 9, the alarm content includes "Alarm (Level 2)", "Details: There is unremoved medication (one consecutive day's worth)", and "Response: Please 'Contact family and care manager'. Please 'Contact patient'. Please 'Forcefully discharge the medication.'" The action buttons are operation buttons corresponding to various actions, and in FIG. 9, the “Contact family / care manager” button, the “Contact patient” button, and the “Forced discharge of medication” button are marked with indications that they are actions proposed by the management device 30.

[0046] As described above, the medication support system disclosed in the embodiments comprises one or more medication support terminals 10 that dispense medication according to a medication schedule determined for each subject, and a management device 30 that communicates with the one or more medication support terminals 10, and the management device 30 generates and displays the medication behavior history of one or more subjects from the operation history of the one or more medication support terminals 10. This allows administrators to assist with comprehensive medication management based on actual medication history. For example, if an abnormality occurs in medication behavior, prompt action can be taken, such as visiting the patient earlier than the scheduled visit date. In addition, by assigning a cassette to the timing of taking medicine, storing the medicines that should be taken at that timing together, and managing them by cassette, the management of taking medicine becomes accurate. If notifications for taking medicine and management of forgotten doses were to be performed by medicine, the notifications and operations would become complicated as the number of medicines increases, but if management is done by cassette, such problems do not occur.

[0047] Furthermore, the management device 30 generates and outputs proposal information to be proposed to a manager who manages the administration of medication, based on the medication behavior history. For this reason, the system suggests measures to be taken based on the actual medication history, helping to improve the administrator's response.

[0048] As an example, the management device 30 outputs an alarm when the medication behavior history indicates an inappropriate state, and suggests a measure to deal with the inappropriate state. In addition, the management device 30 suggests changes to the medication schedule based on the medication behavior history. For example, the management device 30 suggests changes to the medication schedule based on information showing the relationship between the time period (medication time period) specified in the medication schedule when medication should be taken and the time when the medication is taken (cassette ejection time), and / or information about the time when the medication support terminal 10 determines that there is someone nearby. In this way, the disclosed medication support system can suggest a medication schedule based on the subject's behavioral history. By managing medication behavior over a specified period on a cassette basis and evaluating and proposing medication schedules, a clear schedule can be proposed without becoming complicated due to the number of medications.

[0049] In addition, the management device 30 proposes a visit schedule for the manager to visit the subject based on the medication behavior history. For example, the management device 30 acquires information regarding remaining medication from the medication support terminal 10, outputs an alarm based on the remaining medication, and proposes a visit schedule that prioritizes replenishing medication support terminals that have no remaining medication. In this way, the disclosed medication support system can suggest a visit schedule based on the subject's behavioral history. In particular, when a manager manages multiple subjects, streamlining the visit schedule is effective.

[0050] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are included. For example, the above-mentioned embodiment is described in detail to easily explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to the embodiment having all the described configurations. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the deletion of the configurations, and it is also possible to replace or add the configurations. For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration was exemplified in which the cassette is ejected upon receiving a removal operation, but the cassette may be transported to the removal port in advance when the medication time slot begins, and the medication is completed when the cassette is removed from the removal port, and the cassette is returned to the storage section if the medication time slot ends without being removed. Furthermore, the medication support terminal 10 is not limited to being installed in the patient's home, and may be installed in a facility housing a plurality of patients. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10: Medication support terminal, 11: Communication unit, 12: Control unit, 13: Memory unit, 14: Cassette storage unit, 15: Cassette ejection mechanism, 16: Human sensor, 17: Display operation unit, 18: Speaker, 20: Device for medication recipient, 30: Management device, 31: Communication unit, 32: Control unit, 33: Memory unit, 34: Display unit, 35: Operation unit, 41: Terminal management unit, 42: Operation history management unit, 43: Medication behavior generation unit, 44: Proposal processing unit, 50: Device for medication provider, 51: Terminal management data, 52: Proposal management data, 53: Terminal operation history, 54: Medication behavior history

Claims

1. One or more medication support terminals that dispense medication according to a medication schedule determined for a subject; A management device that communicates with the one or more medication support terminals, The management device generates a medication behavior history of one or more of the subjects from the operation history of the one or more medication support terminals, and displays and outputs the history. A medication support system comprising:

2. The medication support system according to claim 1, The medication support system is characterized in that the management device generates and outputs proposal information to be proposed to an administrator who manages medication, based on the medication behavior history.

3. The medication support system according to claim 2, The medication support system is characterized in that the management device outputs an alarm when the medication behavior history indicates an inappropriate state and suggests how to deal with the inappropriate state.

4. The medication support system according to claim 2, The medication support system is characterized in that the management device proposes changes to the medication schedule based on the medication behavior history.

5. The medication support system according to claim 4, The medication support system is characterized in that the management device proposes changes to the medication schedule based on information indicating the relationship between the time period specified in the medication schedule when medication should be taken and the time when the medication is taken, and / or information about the time when the medication support terminal determines that there are people nearby.

6. The medication support system according to claim 2, The medication support system is characterized in that the management device proposes a visit schedule for the manager to visit the subject based on the medication behavior history.

7. The medication support system according to claim 6, The medication support system is characterized in that the management device acquires information regarding remaining medication from the medication support terminal, outputs an alarm based on the remaining medication, and proposes a visit schedule that prioritizes replenishing medication support terminals that have no remaining medication.

8. One or more medication support terminals that discharge medicine according to a medication schedule determined for a subject transmit an operation history to a management device; The management device generates a medication behavior history of one or more of the subjects from the operation history of the one or more medication support terminals; The management device displays and outputs the medication behavior history. A medication support method comprising:

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