Inspection result display method, inspection result display program, and inspection result display system

Abstract

To improve at-a-glance visibility of results of a plurality of types of clinical examinations, including results of clinical examinations conducted in a plurality of medical institutions.SOLUTION: An inspection result display method is to execute, by one or more information processing apparatuses, reading, for a plurality of medial institutions, information including inspection values for items of a medical examination conducted for a subject in each of the medical institutions, a reference range of the inspection values determined for the items of the clinical examination in the medical institution, and an inspection date when the clinical examination is conducted, normalizing the read inspection values on the basis of the reference range of the inspection values determined for the items of the medical examination in each of the medical institutions, and transmitting information for displaying the normalized inspection values on one graph on the basis of the inspection date. The inspection values for the items of the clinical examination conducted in the plurality of clinical institutions are plotted on one graph.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to a test result display method, a test result display program, and a test result display system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a medical information processing system has been proposed that has a memory unit that stores measurement data that corresponds measurement values ​​obtained by examining or measuring a subject, the date and time when the measurement values ​​were obtained, and information indicating the medical institution that obtained the measurement values; an acquisition unit that acquires from the memory unit measurement data related to a subject specified by one of the medical institutions; and a display control unit that arranges and displays the measurement values ​​contained in the measurement data acquired by the acquisition unit in chronological order, and associates the arranged measurement values ​​with information based on characteristic values ​​that represent the characteristics of the medical institution that obtained the measurement values ​​so that the information can be distinguished between medical institutions (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In addition, a medical test data management device has been proposed that stores standard values ​​indicating the range of reference normal values ​​for each test item, and when displaying test data in a graph, sets upper and lower standard values ​​at a specified interval on the vertical axis of the graph, plots the test data on the graph by assuming a vertical axis scale so that the upper and lower limits of the standard values ​​of the test items displayed in the graph match the upper and lower standard values ​​on the vertical axis, respectively, and displays data for multiple test items with different standard values ​​or different unit systems superimposed on a common reference axis (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-126462 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-133293 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It has not been easy to compare the results of multiple types of clinical tests, especially when the results include those performed at different medical institutions. For example, even for the same test item, the test results and reference ranges may vary depending on the test method, measurement principle, analytical equipment, measurement reagents, etc. In addition, the reference ranges may be defined independently, for example, according to hospital policies.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the viewability of the results of multiple types of clinical tests, including the results of clinical tests performed at multiple medical institutions, and in particular to improve the visibility of test results that deviate from the standard range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present technology includes the following aspects. (Aspect 1) Reading out information about a plurality of medical institutions, including test values ​​for clinical test items performed on the subject by each medical institution, reference ranges of test values ​​for the clinical test items determined for each medical institution, and test dates on which the clinical tests were performed; normalizing the read test value based on a reference range of the test value determined for each of the medical institutions for the clinical test item; Transmitting information for displaying the normalized test values ​​on a single graph based on the test dates; A test result display method executed by one or more information processing devices, The test values ​​for the clinical test items performed by each of the plurality of medical institutions are plotted on the single graph. How test results are displayed. (Aspect 2) The normalization is performed by converting the test value based on the relationship between at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of a reference range determined in association with the medical institution that performed the clinical test and the test value of the clinical test performed at the medical institution. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 1. (Aspect 3) The normalization is performed by different calculations depending on whether the test value is outside the reference range or not. A method for displaying test results according to aspect 1 or 2. (Aspect 4) The normalization is performed by converting the test value, when the test value deviates from the reference range, according to the ratio between the upper limit or the lower limit of the reference range determined in correspondence with the medical institution that performed the clinical test and the test value of the clinical test performed at the medical institution. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 3. (Aspect 5) If the test value is within the reference range, the test value is set to an arbitrary fixed value on the graph. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 3. (Aspect 6) When the test value is within the reference range, the normalization is performed by converting the test value according to the ratio of the difference between the test value of the clinical test performed at the medical institution and the lower limit of the reference range to the difference between the upper limit of the reference range established in correspondence with the medical institution that performed the clinical test and the lower limit of the reference range. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 3 to 5. (Aspect 7) The information processing device further performs a scale change process of changing a scale of an axis representing a magnitude of the test value in the graph according to a ratio of a value corresponding to the test value to the reference range. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 1 to 6. (Aspect 8) The graph includes an area representing the reference range, a high value area greater than the reference range, and a low value area smaller than the reference range, the area being divided in the direction of an axis representing the magnitude of the test value, In the scale change process, the information processing device determines the ratio of the high value region and the low value region on the axis based on the maximum value and the minimum value of the ratio among the test values ​​displayed on the graph. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 7. (Aspect 9) a minimum value of the ratio on the axis is set for each of the region representing the reference range, the high value region, and the low value region; When the ratio on the axis for any of the region representing the reference range, the high value region, and the low value region falls below a predetermined minimum value, the information processing device sets the ratio on the axis of the region below the minimum value to the minimum value, and divides the remaining region on the axis according to the ratio of the ratios on the axis of the other regions. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 8. (Aspect 10) The display includes, when a request for displaying the test values ​​is received from a computer of each medical institution, comparing the test values ​​obtained at the requesting medical institution with the test values ​​obtained at other medical institutions. and changing the appearance of the test value so that it can be distinguished from the actual test value. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 1 to 9. (Aspect 11) The appearance is the shape, size, color, or pattern of a data point on the graph. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 10. (Aspect 12) the one or more information processing devices further execute a process of displaying test values ​​corresponding to plotted data points in response to user operations on the data points; The data points that can be manipulated on the graph are displayed with a predetermined graphic. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 1 to 11. (Aspect 13) The operation is a mouseover, a click, or a tap on the data point. A method for displaying test results according to embodiment 12. (Aspect 14) The test value displayed in response to the operation includes raw data of the test value. A method for displaying test results according to aspect 12 or 13. (Aspect 15) Test values ​​for different test items on the same test date are displayed shifted forward or backward in the chronological order as long as the order is not reversed with the test values ​​on the previous or next test date. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 12 to 14. (Aspect 16) When the scale of the axis representing the test value is adjusted to display the graph, the scale is adjusted based on the test value of the clinical test performed on the test date within a specified display period. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 1 to 15. (Aspect 17) The medical institution's computer is one or more computers that store data managed by the medical institution. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 1 to 16. (Aspect 18) The medical institution is at least one of a hospital and a clinical testing facility. A method for displaying test results according to any one of aspects 1 to 17. (Aspect 19) A test result display program for causing one or more information processing devices to execute the test result display method according to any one of aspects 1 to 18. (Aspect 20) A test result display system including one or more information processing devices that executes the test result display method according to any one of aspects 1 to 18.

[0008] The content of the means for solving the problem may be provided as an apparatus such as a computer or a system including multiple apparatuses, a method executed by a computer, or a program executed by a computer. The program may also be executed on a network. A recording medium for storing the program may also be provided. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the visibility of results of multiple types of clinical tests, including results of clinical tests performed at multiple medical institutions, and in particular, to improve the visibility of test results that deviate from the reference range. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a linking server. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic sequence diagram illustrating an example of the process. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in the storage device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a reference range for each medical institution stored in the link server. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a time series display of test values. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram showing an example of the graph display process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display of test values. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a graph display of test values. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of displaying test values ​​in a pop-up on a graph. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment and a modification of the graph display. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment and a modification of the graph display. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of displaying examination items according to examination intervals. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a process flow diagram illustrating an example of the proposal process. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of displaying test items according to whether they are inside or outside the reference range. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying basic information of a patient. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic sequence diagram illustrating an example of the linking process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <System configuration> Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the overall configuration of the system. The system 1 includes a medical institution's computer 2 (2A, 2B), a linking server 3 that accumulates information held by various medical institutions and provides it to users, a PHR server 4 that provides information such as a PHR (Personal Health Record), and a patient terminal 5 (5A, 5B) used by a patient undergoing a clinical test. The computer 2, the linking server 3, the PHR server 4, and the patient terminal 5 are connected to each other via a network 6 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0013] In this embodiment, the medical institution may include a hospital or a clinical testing center. That is, the computer 2 may be a computer 2A that stores information such as an electronic medical record managed by a hospital. The computer 2 may also be a computer 2B that stores information on the results of tests performed at a clinical testing center. The computer 2 may not be a device installed within the facility of a hospital or a testing center, but may be a storage on a network such as a so-called cloud service used by a medical institution.

[0014] The linking server 3 collects the results of the clinical tests from the computer 2 and stores them in a storage device. The collection of the results of the clinical tests may be performed via the PHR server 4. The linking server 3 also outputs information showing the test results of a specific examinee and statistics on the test results of multiple examinees to the hospital's computer 2A. That is, the linking server 3 presents the test results, etc. to the doctor. At this time, the doctor can view the results of the clinical tests performed at multiple medical institutions. In addition, the hospital's computer 2A may be a device that stores information such as electronic medical records, and a device that acquires the test results and displays them to users such as doctors, or the like, may be different or the same. In addition, the linking server 3 may also be the computer 2B of the clinical testing center. In addition, for hospitals that do not use electronic medical records, a service is provided to store the test results in the computer 2B in the linking server 3, and the like from such hospitals is provided. The accumulated data may be made viewable on a tablet device or the like.

[0015] The PHR server 4 provides the PHR to the examinee's terminal 5 via a website or predetermined software. The PHR includes data showing the results of the examinee's clinical tests, which can be obtained from the linking server 3. The PHR may also include information on specific health checkups, medical examinations, prescriptions, test results and vital data measured by the examinee himself / herself, for example, at home, etc. The linking server 3 may present the test results, etc. to the examinee himself / herself via the examinee's terminal 5.

[0016] The patient terminal 5 is an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone. The patient terminal 5 receives and outputs PHR data via an internet browser or a specific software. The user of the patient terminal 5 may input information such as test results and vital signs data obtained at home into the patient terminal 5 and transmit the information to the computer 2, the linking server 3, or the PHR server 4. Self-measured test results may also be ultimately collected in the linking server 3.

[0017] Network 6 includes an IP (Internet Protocol) network. The devices connected to the network 6 can communicate based on a predetermined protocol. A part of the network 6 may be a telephone network (fixed telephone network or mobile communication network), an ad hoc network, an intranet, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a Wireless LAN, a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the linking server 3. The linking server 3 is an information processing device that provides services and data according to this embodiment to other computers on the network 6. The linking server 3 includes a storage device 31, a communication interface (I / F) 32, and a processor 33. The storage device 31, the communication I / F 32, and the processor 33 are connected to each other via a bus. The storage device 31 is a main storage device such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM), and an auxiliary storage device (secondary storage device) such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. The main storage device temporarily stores a program read by the processor 33 and secures a working area for the processor 33. The auxiliary storage device stores a program executed by the processor 33 and other data. In this embodiment, the storage device 31 stores data of patients collected from the computer 2 of the medical institution. The stored data includes, for example, the results of clinical tests. In the example of FIG. 2, a database is illustrated in the storage device 31. That is, the storage device 31 may store a clinical test DB311, an anonymized DB312, and an electronic medical record DB313. The clinical test DB311 stores the results of clinical tests in association with the identification information of examinees. The clinical test DB311 stores the results of clinical tests received from the clinical test center computer 2B. The anonymized DB312 stores the results of clinical tests without linking them to examinees. The anonymized DB312 stores the results of clinical tests received from the medical institution computer 2 after anonymization processing. The information stored in the anonymized DB312 can be used for statistical processing, for example. The electronic medical record DB313 stores information accumulated in the electronic medical record received from the hospital computer 2A, such as prescriptions, surgery history, allergies, and contraindications, in addition to the results of clinical tests, in association with the identification information of examinees to the extent that consent to information sharing has been obtained from each medical institution. Note that the database is not limited to the one illustrated, and the storage device 31 may store in advance information indicating reference ranges (ranges of normal values) for clinical test items determined for each medical institution.The communication I / F 32 is an adapter for connecting to the network 6, such as a network card, and performs communication based on a predetermined protocol. The processor 33 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and performs operations by executing a program. The processor 33 operates as a functional unit that performs each process described in this embodiment.

[0019] Specifically, the processor 33 functions as at least one of a data collection unit 331, a scaling unit 332, a graph creation unit 333, a sorting unit 334, a statistical processing unit 335, a test reception unit 336, and a history storage unit 337. The data collection unit 331 receives data on clinical tests of examinees from the medical institution's computer 2 via the communication I / F 32 and the network 6, and stores the data in the storage device 31. That is, the data collection unit 331 functions as, for example, a web server, and communicates with other devices based on a predetermined protocol.

[0020] The scaling unit 332 adjusts the results of clinical tests received by the same examinee at multiple medical institutions, for example, stored in the clinical test DB 311, so that they can be displayed on one graph. That is, the scaling unit 332 normalizes the values ​​of the results of clinical tests performed at different medical institutions based on the reference range for the clinical test item, which is predetermined for each medical institution. Here, even for the same test item, the test results and reference range may vary depending on the test method, measurement principle, analysis device, measurement reagent, etc. In addition, the reference range may be defined independently, for example, according to the hospital's policy. Normalization refers to converting the reference range of the measurement value to a predetermined range, for example, from 0 to 1, in order to unify the standards and compare the test results.

[0021] The graph creation unit 333 plots the results of the clinical tests carried out at different medical institutions on one graph based on the normalized values. The graph is transmitted via the communication I / F 32 and the network 6 in response to a request from, for example, the hospital computer 2 or the examinee terminal 5.

[0022] The sorting unit 334 sorts, for example, each of the test items performed on a specific examinee stored in the clinical test DB 311 based on the time elapsed since the most recent test date and the inside / outside judgment against the reference range. The sorted test items are also transmitted via the communication I / F 32 and the network 6 in response to a request from, for example, the hospital computer 2 or the examinee terminal 5.

[0023] The statistical processing unit 335 calculates statistics of clinical tests in the whole country or a specified region, for example, using information stored in the anonymized DB 312. The statistics may include information on items whose increase rate in the number of times performed exceeds a threshold, the positive rate of specified items, the detected bacterial species, etc. Furthermore, the test reception unit 336 may perform a process of receiving an entrustment of clinical tests to a clinical testing center. At this time, the addition of test items may be proposed based on the statistics calculated by the statistical processing unit 335.

[0024] For example, when the history holding unit 337 receives a request from the hospital computer 2 and further receives a request for bookmark registration from the hospital computer 2 for a examinee who has output information on test items and test values ​​stored in the clinical test DB 311 and information stored in the anonymization DB 312, the history holding unit 337 adds identification information for identifying the examinee to a predetermined list and stores it in the storage device 31. Furthermore, the history holding unit 337 may store in the storage device 31 history information based on the order in which the examinees who have output information on test items and test values, etc., were output.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic sequence diagram showing an example of processing executed by computer 2 and linking server 3. Computer 2 transmits information indicating the results of the clinical test of the examinee to linking server 3 at any timing after the test (FIG. 3: S1). It is preferable that the data is transmitted when consent is obtained in advance from both the hospital that performed the clinical test and the examinee. In addition, when the hospital outsources the execution of tests for at least some of the test items to a clinical testing center, the computer 2 of the hospital that receives the results transmits the data to linking server 3. Alternatively, the data may be transmitted from the clinical laboratory center computer 2 to the linking server 3. In hospitals that use paper medical records (not electronic medical records), the data can be transmitted from the clinical laboratory center computer 2B to the linking server 3, thereby eliminating the need to digitize the data. Also, instead of the computer 2, the test result data may be transmitted to the linking server 3 from the PHR server 4 or the examinee's terminal 5.

[0026] On the other hand, the data collection unit 331 of the linkage server 3 acquires data via the communication I / F 32 and stores it in the storage device 31 (FIG. 3: S2). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the storage device 31. The test result table 311 in FIG. 4 includes attributes such as "patient ID", "medical institution ID", "date of examination", "hemoglobin", and "hematocrit". In the "patient ID" field, identification information for uniquely identifying the examinee is registered. In the "medical institution ID" field, identification information for uniquely identifying the medical institution such as a hospital or clinical testing center is registered. In the "date of examination" field, information indicating the date on which the clinical test was performed is registered. Attributes such as "hemoglobin" and "hematocrit" represent test items. In the test item field, a measurement value representing the test result of the test item may be registered. Note that no value is registered for a test item that was not measured in the test on the date of examination.

[0027] For each test item, a reference range is previously determined for each medical institution. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a reference range for each medical institution held by the linkage server 3. The reference table 312 in FIG. 5 includes attributes such as "medical institution ID", "hemoglobin", "hematocrit", "estimated GFRcreat", and "uric acid". In the "medical institution ID" field, identification information for uniquely identifying a medical institution such as a hospital or a clinical laboratory center is registered. The attributes such as "hemoglobin", "hematocrit", "estimated GFRcreat", and "uric acid" represent test items. In the test item field, the reference range of the test item is registered. That is, for each test item, both the upper limit and the lower limit, or one of the upper limit and the lower limit, such as less than, less than, more than, or more than, is registered. For example, there are cases where the reference range has only a lower limit, such as "estimated GFRcreat", and there are also test items where the reference range has only an upper limit, such as "uric acid". The reference range may be registered in the test result table 311 in association with each test result. This makes it possible to register the reference ranges established for each test item by the medical institution on the day the test was performed.

[0028] 3 may be executed, for example, every time a patient undergoes a clinical test at a medical institution. Even if the same patient undergoes a test at different medical institutions, the test results are stored in the linking server 3 in association with the patient's identification information.

[0029] Moreover, the process from S3 onward in FIG. 3 is a process when, for example, a doctor in a hospital examines a patient while viewing the test results. The hospital computer 2 requests the patient's data from the linking server 3 based on the operation of the doctor or the like (FIG. 3: S3). In this step, the patient is identified and the test results are requested. The data may be viewed by accessing a specific website using an Internet browser installed in the computer 2. The data may also be viewed by a specific program installed in the computer 2. The request may also include a method for displaying the data. In this embodiment, it is mainly possible to (1) display the test values ​​in a time series, (2) display the test values ​​in a graph, (3) display the test items according to the test interval, and (4) display the test items according to whether they are within or outside the reference range.

[0030] Meanwhile, the data collection unit 331 of the linkage server 3 reads out the data stored in the storage device 31 (FIG. 3: S4). In this step, the data collection unit 331 reads out data on the test results of the requested examinee from the test result table 311 as shown in FIG.

[0031] Also, for example, in the case of (1) displaying the test values ​​in a time series, the data collecting unit 331 creates data for displaying a table using the read data (S5 in FIG. 3) and transmits the created data to the computer 2 (S10 in FIG. 3). Then, the computer 2 displays the received data on the monitor (S11 in FIG. 3). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the time series display of the test values. The screen in FIG. 6 includes a "Display Numeric Value" button 201, a "Display Graph" button 202, a text box 203 for inputting the start date of the display period, a text box 204 for inputting the end date of the display period, a "Set" button 205 for setting the period and updating the display, a pull-down menu 206 for selecting from a predetermined period, and a table 207 for displaying the test results. The "Display Numeric Value" button 201 and the "Display Graph" button 202 are buttons for switching between the display of numerical values ​​and the display of graphs. The period for displaying the test results in the table 207 can be changed by inputting the dates in the text boxes 203 and 204 and pressing the "Set" button 205, or by selecting a period from a pull-down menu 206 for selecting from a predetermined period. The date can be input in the text boxes 203 and 204 by selecting the date from a calendar. The row direction of the table 207 indicates the difference between the test items, and the column direction indicates the difference between the test dates. In addition, the test values ​​are displayed at the intersection of the rows and columns, and the reference range is displayed in parentheses. The reference range is a range of values ​​determined for the test item at the medical institution that performed the test on the test date. Therefore, the table 207 may include test values ​​with different reference ranges even for the same test item. The test values ​​may be made to be distinguishable from those outside the reference range by their appearance. That is, the text color or font of the test values, the background color of the table, and other text decorations may be changed depending on whether the test values ​​are inside or outside the reference range. For example, test values ​​that deviate from the reference range can be highlighted. Additionally, the appearance of the test values ​​may be such that it is possible to distinguish between tests performed by the medical institution that requested the data and tests performed by other medical institutions.That is, the text color or font of the test value, the background color of the table, or other text decoration may be changed between tests performed by the medical institution that requested the data in Fig. 3 and other tests. Note that the text decoration for identifying the reference range and the text decoration for identifying the medical institution that performed the test are different types of text decoration. Since doctors who check table 207 often remember the reference ranges established by their own hospitals, the efficiency and accuracy of the doctor's work in checking test results can be improved by displaying tests performed at their own hospitals in a distinguishable manner from other tests.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, when (2) displaying a graph of test values, scaling unit 332 normalizes the read data (FIG. 3: S6), and graph creation unit 333 creates a graph plotting the normalized test values ​​(FIG. 3: S7), and transmits data for displaying the graph to computer 2 (FIG. 3: S10). Then, computer 2 displays the received data on a monitor (FIG. 3: S11). Details of S6 and S7 are shown in FIG. 7.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram showing an example of the graph display process. First, in S6, the scaling unit 332 normalizes the read-out test value based on the registered reference range. In this embodiment, normalization refers to converting the test value into a ratio so that the reference range is in the range from 0 to 1. Note that the test value that deviates from the reference range will have a value exceeding 1 or a negative value. For example, normalization may be performed by converting the test value according to the ratio of the difference between the test value and the reference value or zero to the difference between the other of the upper and lower limits of the reference range or zero and the reference value, using one of the upper and lower limits of the reference range as a reference value. Also, normalization may be performed by performing different calculations depending on whether the reference range of the test item is defined by the upper and lower limits (A), the upper limit only (B), or the lower limit only (C). Alternatively, normalization may be performed depending on whether the test value does not deviate from the reference range (I) or the reference range (II). Different calculations may be performed for the case where the value deviates from the reference range to the high side (II) and the case where the value deviates from the reference range to the low side (III).

[0034] First, the graph creation unit 333 determines whether the graph display setting is "fixed scale" (FIG. 7: S61). In this embodiment, "fixed scale" refers to a display method in which the scale of the vertical axis of the graph is fixed in advance. In addition to the fixed scale, in this embodiment, display using "automatic scale" can also be selected. "Automatic scale" refers to a display method in which the scale of the vertical axis of the graph is changed according to the measured value to be displayed. In this step, the graph creation unit 333 determines which display method should be used, based on the display method set by the user or a predetermined standard display method.

[0035] If it is determined that the scale is fixed (S61: YES), the graph creation unit 333 reads out the display proportions of a high value region that exceeds the reference range, a reference range region that is within the reference range, and a low value region that is below the reference range (FIG. 7: S62). The display proportions of each region in the case of a fixed scale are set to, for example, 30%, 50%, and 20% in the vertical direction, respectively.

[0036] Then, the graph creation unit 333 calculates the position on the graph where the value should be plotted (FIG. 7: S64) and creates a graph (FIG. 7: S7). In S64 and S7, the graph creation unit 333 creates data for displaying a graph on which the normalized values ​​are plotted. When a plurality of test values ​​performed on different dates or at different medical institutions are stored for a test item to be displayed, the test values ​​may be connected in a chronological order with a straight line to draw a line graph. In addition, values ​​that are too large to fit on the graph on a fixed scale may be plotted at the top of the graph with data points as upward triangles, and similarly, small values ​​may be plotted at the bottom of the graph with data points as downward triangles. Note that even when the coordinates on the monitor of the computer 2 displaying the graph are positive from top to bottom, for example, with the upper left corner of the area displaying the graph as the origin, the plot positions are calculated by appropriately converting the coordinates.

[0037] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display of test values ​​drawn with a fixed scale. The screen of FIG. 8 includes a "Display Numeric Value" button 201, a "Display Graph" button 202, a text box 203 for inputting the start date of the display period, a text box 204 for inputting the end date of the display period, a "Set" button 205 for setting the period and updating the display, a pull-down menu 206 for selecting from a predefined period, a graph 208 for displaying the test results, a "Fixed Scale" button 209, and an "Auto Scale" button 210. The functions of the "Display Numeric Value" button 201, the "Display Graph" button 202, the text box 203, the text box 204, the "Set" button 205, and the pull-down menu 206 are the same as those in the example of FIG. 6. For example, when the "Display Graph" button 202 is pressed on the screen of FIG. 6, the display is switched to a graph display as shown in FIG. 8. The graph 208 shows the test values ​​on multiple test dates as a line graph. Moreover, the regions in the graph 208 are divided by changing the background color so that the regions within and outside the reference range can be visually recognized. FIG. 8 is an example of a "fixed scale", and the ratio of the sizes of the high value region 2081 exceeding the reference range, the region 2082 within the reference range, and the low value region 2083 below the reference range is fixed at an arbitrary value. For example, the high value region 2081, the region 2082 within the reference range, and the low value region 2083 may be 30%, 50%, and 20%, respectively, or 75%, 0%, and 25% in the vertical direction of the graph 208. In this case, values ​​smaller than the minimum value of the low value region 2083 may be plotted at the bottom of the region with data points in a downward triangle. Also, values ​​exceeding the maximum value of the high value region 2081 may be plotted at the top of the region with data points in an upward triangle. The graph 208 plots the values ​​normalized in S6, so that the test results performed at different medical institutions can be compared on the graph. As shown in FIG. In this way, graph 208 may display test results for multiple test items on a single graph. By plotting test values ​​relative to the reference range, the results of different test items can be displayed on a single graph with good visibility.

[0038] For a test item (A) whose reference range is defined by upper and lower limits, if the test value does not deviate from the reference range (I), for example, the normalized ratio (ratio) is calculated using the following formula (1): It can be done. ratio=(test value-lower limit of reference range) / (upper limit of reference range-lower limit of reference range) (1) That is, the ratio of the difference between the test value and the reference value to the difference between the upper limit of the reference range and the above-mentioned reference value is calculated, with the lower limit of the reference range as the reference value. In addition, for example, the vertical axis is divided into a high value region of 30%, a reference range region of 50%, and a low value region of 20%, and a data point is plotted at a position corresponding to the calculated ratio in a graph in which the lower limit of the reference range region is 0 and the upper limit is 1. For example, the hemoglobin test value "14.0 (g / dL)" in the test performed on December 2, 2021 in Figure 4 is calculated as (14.0-13.5) / (17.5-13.5)=0.125, with the lower limit of the reference range "13.5-17.5 (g / dL)" shown in Figure 5 of the medical institution "M1" that performed the test as the reference value. Alternatively, it may be plotted as any value within the reference range, such as the center of the reference range region.

[0039] In addition, the above-mentioned ratio may be used to convert test values ​​performed at a medical institution other than the medical institution that requested the data into values ​​on a graph that follows the reference range at the medical institution that requested the data. That is, in an example in which the lower limit of the reference range is used as the reference value, the value representing the normalized ratio described above is multiplied by the difference between the upper and lower limits of the reference range at the medical institution that requested the data, and the result is added to the lower limit of the reference range at the medical institution that requested the data. For example, the hemoglobin test value "14.0 (g / dL)" in the test performed on December 2, 2021 in FIG. 4 corresponds to "13.625 (g / dL)" (= (18.0-13.0) × 0.125 + 13.0) in the reference range of the medical institution "M2" (the medical institution that requested the data) that performed the test on July 18, 2022. In this way, it becomes easier for users such as doctors to recognize how far away from the upper or lower limit of the reference range the value corresponds to on a graph that follows the reference range at the medical institution that requested the data.

[0040] When the test value deviates from the reference range to the high side (II), the test value is converted by normalization so that, for example, the range from 0 to the upper limit of the reference range becomes the range from 0 to 1. For example, the ratio after normalization, "ratio," can be calculated by the following formula (2). ratio = test value / upper limit of reference range (2) That is, the ratio of the difference between the test value and the reference value to the difference between the upper limit of the reference range and the above-mentioned reference value is calculated, with zero (the lower limit of the actual reference range) as the reference value. Also, in a graph in which the lower limit of the region within the reference range is 0 and the upper limit is 1, a data point is plotted at a position corresponding to the calculated ratio. In this case, for example, when the test value of a test item whose upper limit of the reference range is "60" is 90, the ratio after normalization is 1.5 (=90 / 60), and is plotted at the position shown by data point 2085 in FIG. 8, for example. When the normalized test value does not fall within high value region 2081, the data point may be plotted in the form of an upward triangle above high value region 2081.

[0041] When the test value deviates from the reference range to the low side (III), the test value is converted by normalization, for example, so that the range from the lower limit of the reference range to 0 becomes the range from 0 to -1. For example, the ratio after normalization can be calculated by the following formula (3). ratio = -(lower limit of reference range / test value) (3) In other words, the ratio of the difference between the test value and the reference value to the difference between the lower limit of the reference range and the reference value is calculated with the sign inverted, taking zero as the reference value. In a graph where the value is -1 and the upper limit is 0, a data point is plotted at a position corresponding to the calculated ratio. In this case, when the test value of a test item whose lower limit of the reference range is "10" is 8, the ratio after normalization is -1.25 (=-10 / 8), and is plotted at the position shown by data point 2087 in FIG. 8, for example. When the normalized test value does not fall within low value region 2083, the data point may be plotted below low value region 2083 as a downward triangle. As in the above formulas (1) to (3), normalization can be performed by converting the test value according to the ratio (positive ratio or inverse ratio) between the upper limit or lower limit of the reference range and the test value when the test value deviates from the reference range.

[0042] For test items (B) where the reference range is defined only by the upper limit, if the test value does not deviate from the reference range (I), the lower limit of the reference range in formula (1) is regarded as zero, and the test value is converted by normalization so that, for example, the range from 0 to the upper limit of the reference range becomes the range from 0 to 1. In other words, zero (the actual lower limit of the reference range) is used as the reference value, and the ratio of the difference between the test value and the reference value to the difference between the upper limit of the reference range and the above reference value is calculated. Even when the test value deviates from the reference range to the high side (II), the ratio after normalization, "ratio," is calculated using formula (2): Therefore, in the case of a test item whose reference range is defined only by the upper limit (B), the normalized ratio "ratio" can be calculated using formula (2) whether the test value does not deviate from the reference range (I) or deviates from the reference range to the high side (II). It is possible to plot the test values ​​on the graph on a scale such that the range from the lower end of the region within the reference range on the graph to the upper end of the region within the reference range (in other words, the lower end of the high value region) corresponds to the range from 0 to 1. In this case, for example, when the test value of a test item whose reference range is "60 or less" is 90, the ratio after normalization is 1.5 (=90 / 60), and is plotted at the position shown by data point 2085 in FIG. 8, for example. When the normalized test value does not fall within the high value region 2081, the data point may be plotted at the top of the high value region 2081 as an upward triangle. When the test value of a test item whose reference range is "60 or less" is 30, the ratio after normalization is 0.5 (=30 / 60), and is plotted at the position shown by data point 2084 in FIG. 8, for example. Alternatively, it may be plotted as an arbitrary value within the reference range, such as the center of the region within the reference range. In the case of a test item whose reference range is defined only by an upper limit value, no data point is plotted in the low value region. For test items with a reference range of "less than," the ratio can be calculated by subtracting the smallest value from the upper limit according to the number of significant digits of the reference range. For example, if the reference value is "less than 60.0," the ratio can be calculated by setting the upper limit of the reference range to 59.99.

[0043] For a test item (C) whose reference range is defined only by a lower limit value, when the test value does not deviate from the reference range (I), for example, a provisional ratio "ratio2" expressed by the following formula (4) is calculated, and the test value is converted by normalization so that the range from the lower limit of the reference range to the maximum provisional ratio in the displayed period is within the range from 0 to 1. ratio2 = (test value - lower limit of reference range) / lower limit of reference range (4) As a result, the normalized ratio “ratio” can be calculated using the following equation (1′). ratio = ((test value - lower limit of reference range) ÷ lower limit of reference range) / ((during the displayed period) Test value showing maximum ratio - lower limit of reference range showing maximum ratio during the displayed period) ÷ lower limit of reference range showing maximum ratio during the displayed period) (1') The "lower limit of the reference range showing the maximum ratio during the display period" refers to the lower limit of the reference range at the medical institution that performed the test for the test value showing the maximum ratio during the display period. Furthermore, the test values ​​are plotted on the graph on a scale such that the range from the lower end of the region within the reference range on the graph (in other words, the upper end of the low value region) to the upper end of the region within the reference range corresponds to the range from 0 to 1. For example, when the test value of a test item whose reference range is "10 or more" is 32 (ratio2=(32-10) / 10=2.2), the test value of the measurement showing the maximum provisional ratio during the display period of that test item is 30, and the reference range for that measurement is "8 or less," For (max_ratio2=(30-8) / 8=2.75), the normalized ratio is ((32-10)÷10) / ((30-8)÷8)=0.8, which is plotted at the position shown as data point 2086 in FIG. 8, for example. Alternatively, it may be plotted as any value within the reference range, such as the center of the region within the reference range. Note that for test items where the reference range is defined only by a lower limit, no data points are plotted in the high value region.

[0044] For a test item (C) whose reference range is defined only by the lower limit, if the test value deviates from the reference range to the lower side (III), calculate the normalized ratio (ratio) using formula (3). In addition, the test values ​​are plotted on the graph on a scale such that the range from the lower end of the region within the reference range on the graph (in other words, the upper end of the low value region) to the upper end of the region within the reference range corresponds to the range from -1 to 0. For example, when the test value of a test item whose reference range is "10 or more" is 8, the ratio after normalization is -1.25 (=-10 / 8), and is plotted at the position shown by data point 2087 in FIG. 8, for example. When the normalized test value does not fall within low value region 2083, the data point may be plotted below low value region 2083 as a downward triangle.

[0045] In addition, when the "Auto Scale" button 210 on the screen of FIG. 8 is pressed by a user such as a doctor operating the computer 2, or when a graph display by automatic scale is requested in S3 of FIG. 3, in S7, the graph creation unit 333 creates data for displaying a graph in which the scale of the vertical axis of the graph 208 is changed based on at least one of the maximum and minimum values ​​of the test value during the display period. In this case, it is determined that the scale is not fixed in S61 of FIG. 7 (S61: NO), and the scaling unit 332 determines the ratio of each region (FIG. 7: S63). That is, the scale of the vertical axis is determined so that the measured values ​​indicating the maximum ratio and the minimum ratio are included. For example, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the above-mentioned ratio are obtained, and the scale of the vertical axis is determined so that these values ​​are included in the graph. In addition, the maximum value of the absolute value of the above-mentioned ratio may be obtained, and the scale of the vertical axis may be determined so that the maximum value is included in the graph and the width of the high value region and the low value region are made the same. Note that the lower limit of the size may be set for each of the high value region, the reference range region, and the low value region, and adjustment may be made to ensure at least the size of the lower limit. In particular, by ensuring the size of the lower limits of the high and low value regions, it becomes easy to check the deviation of test values ​​from the low value region to the high value region on the same graph for multiple test items for which different reference ranges are defined. The size of the region within the reference range may be adjusted to 0%. In other words, the reference range may be omitted on the vertical axis of the graph. For example, by uniformly showing test values ​​included in the reference range on a line, it becomes easy to check test items that deviate from the reference range, and it becomes easy to check the degree of deviation from the reference range over time.

[0046] The graph creation unit 333 calculates the positions on the graph where the values ​​should be plotted (FIG. 7: S64), and creates the graph by adjusting the scale of the vertical axis so that the maximum and minimum values ​​of the ratio fall within the graph (FIG. 7: S75).

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a graph display of test values. In FIG. 9, the same reference symbols as in FIG. 8 are used for the components corresponding to those in FIG. 8, and the description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 9, the ratio of the region 2113 below the reference range is increased so that the minimum value of the test value in the display period fits within the graph. On the other hand, since there are no data points in the region 2111 above the reference range, the ratio of the region 2111 above the reference range is set to a predetermined minimum size. With the display using the automatic scale, the degree of deviation is visually easy to understand, especially for test values ​​that deviate from the reference range. On the other hand, if test values ​​that deviate significantly from the reference range are included, for example, it may be difficult to understand the detailed changes in the test values. On the screen of FIG. 9, the user further presses the "fixed scale" button 209 to change the scale of the vertical axis of the graph 208 to that shown in FIG. 8.

[0048] In the examples of Figs. 8 and 9, the data points plotted on the graph may be arranged so that the examinations performed by the medical institution that requested the data can be distinguished from those performed by other medical institutions by their appearance. That is, at least a part of the shape, size, color, and pattern of the data points may be changed between the examinations performed by the medical institution that requested the data in Fig. 3 and those performed by other medical institutions. For example, in Figs. 8 and 9, the data points plotted with large circles represent the examinations performed by the medical institution that requested the data, and the data points plotted with small circles represent the examinations performed by other medical institutions. Since doctors who check the graphs often remember the reference ranges set by their own hospitals, the efficiency and accuracy of the doctor's work in checking the examination results can be improved by displaying the examinations performed at their own hospitals in a distinguishable manner from those performed by other medical institutions.

[0049] In the examples of Figs. 8 and 9, a test value corresponding to a data point may be displayed by operating the data point. The operation may be, for example, hovering the mouse over, clicking, tapping, etc. The test value displayed may be, for example, raw data before normalization. Furthermore, a reference range determined in association with the medical institution that performed the test may be displayed. The display may be, for example, by a pop-up. Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of displaying test values ​​in a pop-up on a graph. In the example of Fig. 10, a bubble 2115 including the test date, test item, test value, and reference range of the test is displayed in a pop-up for a data point over which the pointer (mouse cursor) is hovered. Note that for test values ​​that are at least outside the reference range, a ratio after normalization, "ratio," may also be displayed. In addition, for test values ​​within the reference range, a message indicating that the test value is within the reference range may be further displayed. For example, for the hemoglobin test value in June 2022, information such as "-1.36 times away from the reference value" may be displayed. By displaying data points on a line graph, it is possible to know that a test value exists on the corresponding test date and to prompt an operation on the data point. In addition, it is preferable to make the size of the data point relatively large, since this makes it easier to operate the data point.

[0050] 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment and a modified example of a graph display. The table in FIG. 11(A) shows an example of a formula used for normalization depending on the relationship between the reference range and the test value. In this example, when the test value is within the reference range, the display position on the graph is the center of the normal region. When the reference range is expressed as a range from a lower limit to an upper limit, and the test value is a high value that exceeds the upper limit, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (2). Specific example For example, in a test item in which the reference range is set to 20 or more and 80 or less, if the test value is 90, the normalized value is 1.125, and is plotted at the height of data point P1 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A). Note that even if the value is set to more than 20, not including the lower limit, or set to less than 80, not including the upper limit, the calculation can be performed as described above. FIG. 12(A) is an example of a graph including a high value region A1, a normal region A2, and a low value region A3. FIG. 12(B) is an example of a graph including a high value region A4 and a low value region A5, in which all values ​​in the normal region are plotted at the same height. In the graph shown in FIG. 12(B), 1.125 is plotted at the height of data point P8. Also, as shown in FIG. 11(A), when the reference range is expressed as a range from the lower limit to the upper limit, if the test value is within the normal range, the data point is plotted at the center of the normal region. In a specific example, when the test value is 60, it is plotted as the center (0.5) of the normal region at the height of data point P5 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A) and at the height of data point P11 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). In addition, when the reference range is expressed as a range from the lower limit to the upper limit, if the test value is a low value below the lower limit, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (3). In a specific example, In the graph shown in Figure 12(A), when the test value is 18, the normalized ratio is -1.111..., and the height of data point P7 in the graph shown in Figure 12(B) is In the figure, it is plotted at the height of data point P12.

[0051] When the reference range is expressed only by the upper limit, the ratio is calculated using the above formula (2) even when the test value is higher than the upper limit. In the case of an examination item, when the test value is 90, the normalized ratio is 1.125, and is plotted at the height of data point P1 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A), and at the height of data point P8 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). Even if the upper limit is set to less than 80, which does not include the upper limit itself, the calculation can be performed appropriately as described above. When the test value is within the normal range, the data point is plotted at the center of the normal region. In the specific example, when the test value is 60 or 15, the data point is plotted at the height of data point P5 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A), and at the height of data point P11 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B), as the center of the normal region (0.5).

[0052] In the case where the reference range is expressed only by the lower limit, if the test value is within the normal range, the data point is plotted at the center of the normal region. For a test item where the reference range is set to 20 or more, whether the test value is 90 or 60, the data point is plotted at the center (0.5) of the normal region, at the height of data point P5 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A), and at the height of data point P11 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). In addition, when the test value is a low value below the lower limit, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (3). is calculated. In the specific example, when the test value is 18, the ratio after normalization is -1.111..., which is plotted at the height of data point P7 in the graph shown in Figure 12(A) and at the height of data point P12 in the graph shown in Figure 12(B). Note that even when a value exceeding 20 that does not include the lower limit itself is set, the above-mentioned appropriate calculation can be performed.

[0053] The table in FIG. 11(B) shows other examples of formulas used for normalization depending on the relationship between the reference range and the test value. In this example, even if the test value is within the reference range, the position at which the test value is plotted in the normal region is calculated. When the reference range is expressed as a range from the lower limit to the upper limit, if the test value is a high value that exceeds the upper limit, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (2). As a specific example, when the test value is 90 for a test item whose reference range is set to 20 or more and 80 or less, the ratio after normalization is 1.125, and is plotted at the height of data point P1 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A) and at the height of data point P8 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). When the test value is within the normal range, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (1). In a specific example, when the test value is 40, the value after normalization is 0.333..., which is plotted at the height of data point P4 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A) and at the height of data point P11 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). Furthermore, when the reference range is expressed as a range from the lower limit to the upper limit, if the test value is a low value below the lower limit, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (3). In the specific example, if the test value is 18, then after normalization, The ratio is −1.111···, which is plotted at the height of data point P7 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A) and at the height of data point P12 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B).

[0054] When the reference range is expressed only by the upper limit, if the test value is higher than the upper limit, the ratio is calculated using the above formula (2). In the case of a test item, when the test value is 90, the normalized ratio is 1.125, and is plotted at the height of data point P1 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A), and at the height of data point P8 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). Also, when the test value is within the normal range, the ratio is calculated using the above-mentioned formula (2). In a specific example, If the test value is 60, the normalized value is 0.750, which is plotted at the height of data point P6 in the graph shown in Figure 12 (A) and at the height of data point P11 in the graph shown in Figure 12 (B). If the test value is 15, the normalized value is calculated to be 0.1875.

[0055] When the reference range is expressed only as the lower limit, if the test value is within the normal range, the ratio is calculated using the above formula (1'). 12(B)。When the test value in the display period is 100, the test value of the measurement showing the maximum provisional ratio in the display period of the test item is 195, and the reference range for the measurement is 15 or less, the normalized value is 0.333··, which is plotted at the height of data point P4 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A) and at the height of data point P11 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B). When the test value shows the maximum provisional ratio in the display period, the normalized value is calculated as 1.0. When the test value is a low value below the lower limit, the ratio is calculated using the above formula (3). In a specific example, when the test value is 18, the normal The ratio after the scaling is −1.111···, which is plotted at the height of data point P7 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(A) and at the height of data point P12 in the graph shown in FIG. 12(B).

[0056] Furthermore, for example, when (3) displaying test items according to test intervals, the sorting unit 334 sorts the test items based on the test date (FIG. 3: S8) and transmits data for displaying the list of sorted test items to the computer 2 (FIG. 3: S10). Then, the computer 2 displays the received data on the monitor (FIG. 3: S11).

[0057] Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of displaying test items according to test intervals. For example, when a list of test items is requested in S3 of Fig. 3, in S8, the sorting unit 334 creates data for displaying a screen as shown in Fig. 13. The example of Fig. 13 includes an "Test Interval" button 216, an "Inside or Outside Standard" button 217, a menu 218 for changing the set of test items to be displayed, a test panel area 219 for sorting and displaying the test items, and a proposal area 220.

[0058] In the examination panel area 219, the examination items are displayed in a rearranged display order by grouping according to the time elapsed since the most recent examination date. In the example of FIG. 13, the examination panel area 219 includes a display area 2191 of examination items examined within two weeks, a display area 2192 of examination items examined within one month, a display area 2193 of examination items examined within three months, and a display area 2194 of examination items not examined within three months. In this way, by rearranging and displaying the examination items according to the time elapsed since the most recent examination date, it becomes easy for a user such as a doctor to check whether each examination item is performed at an appropriate examination frequency. Note that the period shown in the figure is an example, and is not limited to this example. In addition, the multiple examination items displayed in the examination panel area 219 may be displayed as a list of multiple examination items of clinical examinations performed on the same patient at multiple medical institutions during a certain period. That is, the sorting unit 334 cross-searches for examination items that the same examinee has undergone at different medical institutions based on the examination date based on the examination person's identification information, and rearranges the extracted examination items based on the examination date. This allows users such as doctors to see at a glance which test items have been performed at facilities other than their own, without having to repeatedly search for information from other sources. Furthermore, the multiple test items displayed in the test panel area 219 may be changed according to the type of set selected from the menu 218. The set of test items may be predefined, or may be defined independently by medical institutions such as hospitals. In other words, of the items to be tested that have been predefined according to the type of disease, etc., test items that have not yet been performed are also displayed in the test panel area 219. This makes it possible to check whether any tests have been missed in the patient's medical care, and to be made aware of other diseases. The clinical tests obtained as the patient's receiving history can be displayed at the medical institution's It may be possible to display all the test items together without distinction, or to distinguish between tests performed by the medical institution that requested the data and tests performed by other medical institutions. It may also be possible to display only the test items performed by the medical institution that requested the data. By sharing and accumulating information on clinical tests performed on the same patient at multiple medical institutions, it is possible to comprehensively check the status of multiple test items.

[0059] In addition, in the suggestion area 220, clinical tests performed at a plurality of medical institutions are statistically analyzed, and test items that are frequently performed together with the combination of test items displayed in the test panel area 219 are displayed. In this way, it is possible to suggest test items based on the possibility of a disease or the like that is overlooked by the user of the medical institution, or to suggest test items according to a formula different from the way of thinking of the user of the medical institution. That is, by making a suggestion based on the difference between the combination of test items performed at a certain medical institution and the combination of test items performed at a plurality of other medical institutions, it becomes effective test request information without adjustment based on medical knowledge of a specialized field or knowledge of receipts such as restrictions on medical fees, and it can give some kind of awareness to the user of the certain medical institution. Note that additional test items may be suggested based on the combination of test items included in the most recent clinical test performed on the patient at the medical institution viewing the information shown in FIG. 13, instead of the combination of test items displayed in the test panel area 219. It is also possible to suggest not to perform some test items based on the difference between the combination of test items performed at a certain medical institution and the combination of test items performed at a plurality of other medical institutions.

[0060] FIG. 14 is a process flow diagram showing an example of the proposal process. The proposal process is a process of extracting test items to be displayed in the proposal area 220 shown in FIG. 13. The statistical processing unit 335 of the linkage server 3 performs cluster analysis on the combination of accumulated test items (FIG. 14: S21). Note that a combination of test items performed in one clinical test is called a test pattern. In this step, for example, the test patterns accumulated in the anonymized DB 312 shown in FIG. 2 are analyzed. That is, information on clinical tests performed in multiple medical institutions is analyzed. In addition, for example, hierarchical cluster analysis can be adopted as the cluster analysis. That is, the test patterns are classified into clusters based on the commonality of the test items, and as a result, a tree diagram representing the hierarchical clusters is created.

[0061] The statistical processing unit 335 also identifies clusters close to the reference test pattern (FIG. 14: S22). In this step, for example, a cluster having a difference in test items from the reference test pattern and having the shortest distance is identified. The distance between clusters can be calculated by an existing method. The reference test pattern is, for example, a combination of test items included in a clinical test performed or to be performed on a patient at a medical institution that proposes test items.

[0062] The statistical processing unit 335 also extracts test patterns that belong to the identified cluster and a predetermined number of clusters hierarchically higher than the identified cluster (FIG. 14: S23). In this step, test patterns with small differences in test items from the reference test pattern are extracted. The predetermined number may be set appropriately to a number sufficient for proposing additional test items, for example.

[0063] Then, the statistical processing unit 335 extracts test items that are differences between the extracted test pattern and the reference test pattern (FIG. 14: S24), and outputs the extracted test items (FIG. 14: S25). For example, if a test item that does not exist in the reference test pattern but exists in the test pattern extracted in S23 is extracted in S24, a test item that is suggested to be added is output in S25.

[0064] In addition, if the pattern exists in the standard test pattern and does not exist in the test pattern extracted in S23, If a test item that does not exist is extracted in S24, the test item to be deleted may be output in S25. However, from the viewpoint of preventing oversight of a disease, it is preferable to suggest adding a test item. In addition, in S24, test patterns belonging to a cluster may be extracted by going back one by one to a higher hierarchy until a desired number of test items to be output in S25 can be extracted. In addition, the statistical processing unit 335 may output in S25 when the test patterns including the test item extracted in S24 exceed a predetermined ratio (i.e., a threshold value) among the test patterns that statistically include a test item included in the reference test pattern in common.

[0065] Furthermore, for example, when (4) displaying test items according to whether they are inside or outside the reference range (for example, when the "Inside or Outside Reference" button 217 in FIG. 13 is pressed), sorting unit 334 sorts the test items based on the relationship between the test values ​​and the reference range (FIG. 3: S9), and transmits data for displaying the list of test items after sorting to computer 2 (FIG. 3: S10). Then, computer 2 displays the received data on a monitor (FIG. 3: S11).

[0066] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of displaying test items according to whether they are inside or outside the reference range. In FIG. 15, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 13 are used for components corresponding to FIG. 13, and explanations are omitted. The example of FIG. 15 includes a test panel area 221 for sorting and displaying test items, and in the test panel area 221, the test items are displayed by rearranging the display order by grouping according to the relationship between the test value and the reference range. In the example of FIG. 15, the test panel area 221 includes a display area 2211 for test items whose test values ​​exceed the reference range, a display area 2212 for test items whose test values ​​are within the reference range, a display area 2213 for test items whose test values ​​are below the reference range, and a display area 2214 for test items whose test history is not available. In this way, it becomes easy for users such as doctors to check all test items that deviate from the reference range. As in the example of displaying test items according to the test interval, a plurality of test items of clinical tests performed on the same patient at a plurality of medical institutions may be displayed as a list. Also in FIG. 15, the multiple test items displayed in the test panel area 221 are changed according to the type of set selected from the menu 218. In this way, it becomes easy to check whether there are any items that should be tested according to the type of disease, etc. When the "Test Interval" button 216 is further pressed on the screen of FIG. 15, a screen (e.g., FIG. 13) for displaying test items according to the test interval is displayed on the monitor of the computer 2. By switching the screen using the "Inside or Outside Standard" and "Test Interval" buttons, it becomes easy to check whether tests are being performed at an appropriate frequency for test items that fall outside the standard range.

[0067] As described above, in response to a request from computer 2, linking server 3 causes computer 2 to execute (1) a time series display of test values, (2) a graph display of test values, (3) a display of test items according to the test interval, (4) a display of test items according to whether they are inside or outside the reference range, etc. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen displaying basic information of a patient displayed on computer 2. Note that linking server 3 may be a device that provides so-called electronic medical records to computer 2, and the screens shown in Figs. 6 to 16 may each be displayed from the electronic medical record.

[0068] The screen in Figure 16 includes the subject's (patient's) name 222, a menu button 223, a search box 224, a display area for medical history 225, a display area for allergies and avoidances 226, a mouse cursor 227, a pop-up menu 228, a prescription display area 229, a tab 230 for the name of insured diseases, a "Latest Information" button 231, an "Index Time Series" button 232, an "Examination Panel" button 233, a "Regional Information" button 234, and character decoration 235 for the subject's name.

[0069] The subject's name 222 includes the name of the patient. The character decoration 235 is a strip-shaped underline added to the subject's name 222, and its appearance changes every time the subject displayed on the menu screen is changed. The appearance may be a color, a pattern, or the like. For example, the color of the underline changes every time the subject is changed, so that a user such as a doctor can easily recognize that information on a different subject is displayed. The menu button 223 displays a menu for changing the display of the subject, for example, by pressing the button. In the example of FIG. 16, a menu including a "quick list" and a "browsing history" is displayed. The "quick list" is a menu that displays a list of subjects to which a bookmark has been added. For example, a user can bookmark or cancel the bookmark of the subject by clicking a star displayed in front of the subject's name 222. For example, by bookmarking a subject who is scheduled to be examined again after some kind of examination, the user can easily display the subject again. The "browsing history" is a menu for displaying a list of subjects that have been displayed in the past. If there is a subject who was not registered in the quick list but the user wishes to view again, the user can search for that subject from the viewing history. The search box 224 is a text box for searching for the subject. The medical history display area 225 is an area for displaying the medical history of the subject. The allergy / avoidance display area 226 is an area for displaying a list of the subject's allergies or avoidances. The prescription display area 229 is an area for displaying the history of prescriptions prescribed to the subject. The insured disease name tab 230 is a tab for displaying the history of insured disease names.

[0070] The "Latest Information" button 231 is a button for displaying information from the system. The "Index Time Series" button 232 is a button for displaying the time series of the test values ​​shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 to FIG. 10. The "Test Panel" button 233 is a button for displaying the test items shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 15. The "Region Information" button 234 is a button for displaying statistical information of clinical tests in the region where the medical institution requesting the data is located. The statistical information may be, for example, a representative value of the test value, a degree of dispersion, information on items whose increase rate in the number of tests performed exceeds a threshold, a positive rate of a specified item, a detected bacterial species, etc. The statistical processing unit 335 of the linkage server 3 obtains the specified statistical information and transmits data for displaying the statistical information to the computer 2.

[0071] <Patient linking process> Information on the same examinee managed in the electronic medical records and test result information of multiple medical institutions may be linked in the linking server 3 or in the PHR server 4. FIG. 17 is a schematic sequence diagram showing an example of the linking process. In the example of FIG. 17, an authentication request is sent to the computer 2 of the medical institution that performed the clinical test based on the information entered by the examinee, and if authenticated, the examinee is associated with the same person. Here, the input by the examinee is not limited to direct input by the examinee himself / herself, but may be indirect input by a representative of the examinee, or information entered by the examinee on a prescribed form or the like is electronically entered by the medical institution, as long as it is actually input by the examinee.

[0072] Based on the user's operation, the examinee terminal 5 transmits the identification information of the medical institution where the user underwent the clinical test to the PHR server 4 or the linking server 3 (FIG. 17: S21). Note that FIG. 17 illustrates an example in which the information is transmitted from the examinee terminal 5 to the linking server 3. In this step, for example, the examinee inputs the medical institution with which the examinee wishes to link information, such as the medical institution where the examinee underwent the clinical test. The input is performed, for example, via software that provides the PHR or an Internet browser that runs on the examinee terminal 5. Note that information on medical institutions throughout the country may be registered in advance, allowing the user to search and select and input. Also, in S21, in addition to the identification information of the medical institution, personal information such as date of birth, consent regarding the handling of personal information, and information such as the time when the clinical test was taken may be input and transmitted. Also, in S21, the identification information of the medical institution may be transmitted from the examinee terminal 5 to other The information may be transmitted to the PHR server 4 or the link server 3 via the device.

[0073] Next, the PHR server 4 or the linkage server 3 requests authentication from the medical institution's computer 2 (FIG. 17: S22). In this step, the medical institution's user, for example a doctor, is requested to authenticate the validity of the information entered by the patient in S21. In other words, the medical institution's user is requested to associate the information of the patient who wishes to share information with this system with the information of the patient held by the medical institution's computer 2.

[0074] The user of the computer 2 of the medical institution matches the examinees who are determined to be the same person as the user who input the information in S21 among the examinees whose results of the clinical test are held by the computer 2 after face-to-face identity confirmation or the like (FIG. 17: S23). At this time, consent regarding the handling of personal information may be obtained from the examinee. In this step, for example, information regarding the user who input the information in S21 is displayed on the computer 2. The displayed information may include personal information such as name, date of birth, sex, address, and telephone number. It may also include the time when the clinical test was taken at the medical institution. The user of the computer 2 compares the displayed information with information retrieved from, for example, an electronic medical record held by the computer 2, and performs an operation to authenticate the authenticity of the information if it is determined that the information is the same person. In a medical institution that does not use an electronic medical record, patient attribute information such as a medical record ID for each examinee used when entrusting a clinical test is input together with the authentication operation. In addition, the computer 2 responds to the PHR server 4 or the linkage server 3 as to whether or not the authentication has been completed (FIG. 17: S24).

[0075] On the other hand, the PHR server 4 or the linked server 3 performs a process of associating the user's identification information if the user is authenticated based on the response from the computer 2 (FIG. 17: S25). In this step, the user's identification information input in S21 is linked to the user's identification information managed by the medical institution's computer 2, and stored in the storage device 31 of the PHR server 4 or the linked server 3. Note that the user's identification information can be linked throughout the system, for example, with the user's identification information managed by the PHR server 4 or the user's identification information managed by the linked server 3 as a key item.

[0076] The linking may be performed by a computer other than the linking server 3. For example, the PHR server 4 may perform the linking, and the PHR server 4 may transmit to the linking server 3 a combination of identification information of patients at each medical institution that is associated with the same patient.

[0077] In general, it is not easy to link information about the same person stored in computers of different medical institutions. According to the process shown in Fig. 17, the user of the medical institution's computer 2 determines whether or not the information is the same person (so-called three-way authentication), and the accuracy of the association is guaranteed.

[0078] <Other> Although the various components and evaluation conditions of the present invention have been exemplified above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and a person skilled in the art can make appropriate selections by referring to the above conditions.

[0079] The proposal area 220 shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 15 may be displayed on the test result display screen shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 to Fig. 10 or the patient information screen shown in Fig. 16. Furthermore, the proposal area 220 may be displayed not on the screen displaying the test results but on, for example, an order screen for a medical institution to request a clinical testing center to carry out a clinical test.

[0080] The present invention includes a computer program for executing the above-mentioned processes, and a computer-readable recording medium having the program recorded thereon. The recording medium having the program recorded thereon causes a computer to execute the program, thereby enabling the above-mentioned processes to be performed.

[0081] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs through electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer. Among such recording media, those that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes, memory cards, etc. Furthermore, recording media that are fixed to a computer include HDDs, SSDs (Solid State Drives), ROMs, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1: System 2(2A, 2B): Computer 3: Collaboration server 31: Storage device 32: Communication I / F 33: Processor 331: Data Collection Department 332: Scaling section 333: Graph Creation Department 334: Sorting section 335: Statistical processing unit 336: Test reception department 337: History storage unit 4: PHR server 5: Patient terminal 6: Network

Claims

1. Reading out information about a plurality of medical institutions, including test values ​​for clinical test items performed on the subject by each medical institution, reference ranges of test values ​​for the clinical test items determined for each medical institution, and test dates on which the clinical tests were performed; normalizing the read test value based on a reference range of the test value determined for each of the medical institutions for the clinical test item; Transmitting information for displaying the normalized test values ​​on a single graph based on the test dates; A test result display method executed by one or more information processing devices, comprising: Test values ​​for the clinical test items performed by each of the plurality of medical institutions are plotted on the single graph. How test results are displayed.

2. The normalization is performed by converting the test value based on the relationship between at least one of the upper limit and the lower limit of a reference range determined in association with the medical institution that performed the clinical test and the test value of the clinical test performed at the medical institution. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

3. The normalization is performed by different calculations depending on whether the test value is outside the reference range or not. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

4. The normalization is performed by converting the test value, when the test value deviates from the reference range, according to the ratio between the upper limit or the lower limit of the reference range determined in correspondence with the medical institution that performed the clinical test and the test value of the clinical test performed at the medical institution. The method for displaying test results according to claim 2.

5. If the test value is within the reference range, the test value is set to an arbitrary fixed value on the graph. The method for displaying test results according to claim 3.

6. When the test value is within the reference range, the normalization is performed by converting the test value according to the ratio of the difference between the test value of the clinical test performed at the medical institution and the lower limit of the reference range to the difference between the upper limit of the reference range established in correspondence with the medical institution that performed the clinical test and the lower limit of the reference range. The method for displaying test results according to claim 2.

7. The information processing device further performs a scale change process of changing a scale of an axis representing a magnitude of the test value in the graph according to a ratio of a value corresponding to the test value to the reference range. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

8. The graph includes an area representing the reference range, a high value area greater than the reference range, and a low value area smaller than the reference range, the area being divided in the direction of an axis representing the magnitude of the test value, In the scale change process, the information processing device determines the ratio of the high value region and the low value region on the axis based on the maximum value and the minimum value of the ratio among the test values ​​displayed on the graph. The method for displaying test results according to claim 7.

9. a minimum value of the ratio on the axis is set for each of the region representing the reference range, the high value region, and the low value region; When the ratio on the axis for any of the region representing the reference range, the high value region, and the low value region falls below a predetermined minimum value, the information processing device sets the ratio on the axis of the region below the minimum value to the minimum value, and divides the remaining region on the axis according to the ratio of the ratios on the axis of the other regions. The method for displaying test results according to claim 8.

10. The display includes, when a request for displaying the test values ​​is received from a computer of an individual medical institution, changing the appearance of the test values ​​so that the test values ​​obtained at the requesting medical institution and the test values ​​obtained at other medical institutions can be distinguished from each other. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

11. The appearance is the shape, size, color, or pattern of a data point on the graph. The method for displaying test results according to claim 10.

12. the one or more information processing devices further execute a process of displaying test values ​​corresponding to plotted data points in response to user operations on the data points; The data points that can be manipulated on the graph are displayed with a predetermined graphic. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

13. The operation is a mouseover, a click, or a tap on the data point. The method for displaying test results according to claim 12.

14. The test value displayed in response to the operation includes raw data of the test value. The method for displaying test results according to claim 12.

15. Test values ​​for different test items on the same test date are displayed shifted forward or backward in the chronological order as long as the order is not reversed with the test values ​​on the previous or next test date. The method for displaying test results according to claim 12.

16. When the scale of the axis representing the test value is adjusted to display the graph, the scale is adjusted based on the test value of the clinical test performed on the test date within a specified display period. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

17. The medical institution's computer is one or more computers that store data managed by the medical institution. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

18. The medical institution is at least one of a hospital and a clinical testing facility. The method for displaying test results according to claim 1.

19. A test result display program for causing one or more information processing devices to execute the test result display method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. A test result display system comprising one or more information processing devices that executes the test result display method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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