Patient information management device, patient information management system, and patient information management method

Abstract

To enable effective use of space in a medical facility.SOLUTION: A patient information management device includes a computation unit. The computation unit performs processing for acquiring information as to whether or not patients have agreed to share their location information within a medical facility, granting service points to patients who have agreed, acquiring location information of terminals held by the agreed patients, and generating distribution information indicative of a location distribution of the multiple agreed patients in the medical facility on the basis of the acquired location information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a patient information management device, a patient information management system, and a patient information management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Medical facilities such as hospitals may be crowded with patients, making it difficult to effectively utilize the space within the medical facility.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method of providing patients with discount coupons that can be used at facilities around the hospital via their own terminals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-79208 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] According to the method described in Patent Document 1, discount coupons for facilities around the hospital are given to patients, which is expected to attract patients out of the hospital and reduce congestion within the hospital.

[0006] However, with the method described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to accurately grasp the congestion situation within a medical facility, and it is difficult to effectively utilize the space within the medical facility.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to enable efficient use of space within a medical facility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A representative embodiment is a patient information management device that includes a calculation unit that performs the following processes: acquiring information on whether a patient has agreed to having his or her location information acquired at a medical facility; granting service points to the patient who has agreed; acquiring location information of a device held by the patient who has agreed; and generating distribution information representing the distribution of locations of multiple patients who have agreed at the medical facility based on the acquired location information.

[0009] A representative embodiment is a patient information management system including a patient information management device and a terminal wirelessly connected to the patient information management device and held by a patient, wherein the patient information management device has a calculation unit that performs the following processes: acquiring information on whether the patient has agreed to having their location information about the patient in a medical facility acquired; awarding service points to the patient who has agreed; acquiring location information of the terminal held by the patient who has agreed; and generating distribution information representing the distribution of locations of multiple patients who have agreed in the medical facility based on the acquired location information.

[0010] A representative embodiment is a patient information management method in which a computer executes the following processes: acquiring information on whether a patient has agreed to having his or her location information acquired at a medical facility; awarding service points to the patient who has agreed; acquiring location information of a device held by the patient who has agreed; and generating distribution information representing the distribution of locations of multiple patients who have agreed at the medical facility based on the acquired location information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one embodiment, space within a medical facility can be used efficiently.

[0012] Problems, configurations and effects of the invention other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013]

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[0014] An embodiment will be described below. In the embodiment, "distribution information" of patients is defined as information that indicates the distribution of patient locations. "Crowding information" of patients is also defined as information that indicates the degree of congestion of patients, or the density or degree of patient congestion. "Crowding information" is usually generated based on "distribution information."

[0015] (Embodiment 1) <Example of functional block configuration of patient information management system> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of functional blocks of a patient information management system according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the patient information management system 1100 includes a patient information management device 1101 and a plurality of patient terminals 210. The patient information management device 1101 and the plurality of patient terminals 210 are connected via a communication network including wireless networks, and data can be transmitted and received between the patient information management device 1101 and the patient terminals 210.

[0016] The patient terminal 210 is a mobile terminal held by a patient and capable of communicating with the patient information management device 1101. The patient terminal 210 may be loaned from a medical facility used by the patient, or may be owned by the patient. The latter patient terminal is, for example, a mobile terminal on which an application that enables communication with the patient information management device 1101 is installed. Examples of the mobile terminal include a terminal dedicated to the medical facility, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and a laptop computer. The medical facility may be, for example, a hospital, an examination facility, or a rehabilitation center.

[0017] Before receiving services at a medical facility, patients are asked whether they consent to having their location information collected, and they respond to this inquiry. In this specification, patients who consent to having their location information collected are referred to as "consenting patients," and patients who do not consent to having their location information collected are referred to as "non-consenting patients."

[0018] The patient information management device 1101 is installed in a medical facility. However, only the input / output system of the patient information management device 1101 may be installed in the medical facility, and the main body of the patient information management device 1101 may be installed outside the medical facility. The patient information management device 1101 includes a communication unit 100, a storage unit 110, an arithmetic unit 120, and an input / output unit 130. The communication unit 100, the storage unit 110, the arithmetic unit 120, and the input / output unit 130 are configured to be able to exchange information with each other. The communication unit 100 includes a data acquisition unit 101 and a data transmission unit 102. The storage unit 110 includes a data storage unit 111 and a database 112. The arithmetic unit 120 includes an arithmetic processing unit 121 and a point arithmetic unit 122. The input / output unit 130 includes an input unit 131 and an output unit 132.

[0019] The data acquisition unit 101 acquires terminal location information from the patient terminal 210A held by the consenting patient A. The data acquisition unit 101 does not acquire terminal location information from the patient terminal 210N held by the non-consenting patient N. The data acquisition unit 101 can also acquire information other than terminal location information from the patient terminal 210A. In addition, the data acquisition unit 101 can communicate with other devices different from the patient terminal 210.

[0020] The method for the data acquisition unit 101 to acquire the terminal location information is, for example, a method of specifying the location of the patient terminal 210A based on the locations of wireless communication access points installed at multiple locations within the medical facility and the wireless information acquired from the patient terminal 210A. The wireless communication is, for example, communication based on standards such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, for example, a method of specifying the location of the patient terminal 210A based on the location information acquired by the function of the Global Positioning System (GPS) installed in the patient terminal 210A may be used.

[0021] The data storage unit 111 stores the terminal location information acquired from the patient terminal 210A in the database 112 in association with the patient information of the consenting patient A who holds the patient terminal 210A.

[0022] The arithmetic processing unit 121 generates patient congestion information, i.e., patient distribution information, at each location within the medical facility using the terminal location information of multiple consenting patients A stored in the database 112. The arithmetic processing unit 121 also identifies waiting locations for consenting patients A and calculates the waiting time for each waiting location.

[0023] The point calculation unit 122 calculates the number of service points to be awarded to consenting patient A based on at least one of the waiting location and waiting time of consenting patient A. Service points are points that can be used, for example, as part or all of the payment for services received within a medical facility.

[0024] The database 112 stores various information related to patients. A folder is virtually created for each patient in the database 112, and each folder contains an account. The point calculation unit 122 saves the calculated number of points in the account of the consenting patient A, thereby granting service points to the consenting patient A.

[0025] The data transmission unit 102 transmits information such as patient waiting time information, patient distribution (congestion) information within the medical facility, information related to service points, guidance information, remaining time information, and call information to the patient terminal 210. The waiting time information is information indicating the amount of time that the patient has been waiting. The guidance information is information for guiding the patient to a specific location such as a waiting room. The remaining time information is information indicating the estimated amount of time that the patient needs to wait from the current time until they can receive medical services. The call information is information for calling the patient. Note that the data transmission unit 102 may transmit information other than the above information to the patient terminal 210. The data transmission unit 102 may also transmit information to devices other than the patient terminal 210.

[0026] The input unit 131 accepts input of various information from the operator of the patient information management device 1101. The input unit 131 accepts input of information related to various settings in the patient information management device 1101, for example. The output unit 132 outputs various information to the operator. For example, the output unit 132 displays patient distribution (congestion) information.

[0027] <Example of hardware configuration for patient information management system> Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the patient information management system according to embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 2, the patient information management system 1100 includes a patient information management device 1101 and a plurality of patient terminals 210. The patient information management device 1101 includes a computer 140, an access point group 160, a keyboard 151, a mouse 152, and a display monitor 153. The access point group 160, the keyboard 151, the mouse 152, and the display monitor 153 are electrically connected to the computer 140, and are capable of transmitting and receiving signals.

[0028] The computer 140 includes a processor 141, a memory 142, a storage 143, and an interface 144. The processor 141 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor unit (MPU). The memory 142 includes, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM). The storage 143 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The interface 144 transmits and receives information to and from external devices.

[0029] The keyboard 151 and the mouse 152 are operated by an operator and input information to the computer 140. The display monitor 153 displays various information to the operator. The display monitor 153 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel. A projector may be used instead of the display monitor 153. Furthermore, in addition to or instead of the keyboard 151, the mouse 152, and the display monitor 153, a touch panel display or a tablet terminal may be used.

[0030] The access point group 160 is made up of a plurality of access points 161, 162, ..., 16n. The plurality of access points 161, 162, ..., 16n are installed in a scattered manner within the medical facility. The plurality of access points 161, 162, ..., 16n are wirelessly connected to the patient terminal 210.

[0031] A predetermined program is stored in the storage 143. The processor 141 reads out the program, expands it into the memory 142, and executes it, thereby causing the hardware constituting the patient information management device 1101 to function as the communication unit 100, the storage unit 110, the calculation unit 120, and the input / output unit 130 shown in FIG.

[0032] <Processing flow in the patient information management system> FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow in the patient information management system.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, first, in step S101, a process is performed to acquire a response of consent / non-consent from the patient to the acquisition of the patient's location information (acquisition of the location information of the patient's terminal).

[0034] Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 121 of the patient information management device 1101 causes a query screen for asking whether to consent to the acquisition of location information to be displayed on the display unit of the patient terminal 210 in cooperation with an application installed on the patient terminal 210 or a browser or the like. The query screen includes a description to the effect that service points will be assigned to patients who have consented to the acquisition of location information.

[0035] The patient views the query screen and inputs an answer as to whether to consent to the acquisition of location information into the patient terminal 210. The patient terminal 210 transmits the input consent / non-consent answer together with the patient ID that identifies the patient to the patient information management device 1101. The data acquisition unit 101 of the patient information management device 1101 acquires the patient's answer and the patient ID, and saves the patient's answer in the folder of that patient in the database 112.

[0036] Note that the input of consent / non-consent to the patient terminal 210 may be performed by another person such as the patient's attendant or the operator of the patient information management device 1101 on behalf of the patient. Also, the operator or a medical staff member of the medical facility may verbally ask the patient for consent / non-consent and directly input the patient's answer into the patient information management device 1101 by the operator or the medical staff member. Alternatively, the patient may connect a terminal arranged outside the medical facility, such as a personal computer at home, to the Web of the medical facility via a network such as the Internet and input the patient's consent / non-consent answer using that terminal.

[0037] In step S102, a process of identifying accepted consenting patients is performed. Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 121 of the patient information management device 1101 refers to the information stored in the database 112 to identify patients who have consented to the acquisition of location information among the patients who have completed the reception at the medical facility (hereinafter also referred to as consenting patients).

[0038] In step S103, a process for acquiring terminal location information of consenting patients is performed. Specifically, the data acquisition unit 101 of the patient information management device 1101 acquires location information of the patient terminal 210A held by consenting patient A. In this embodiment, the patient terminal 210 is wirelessly connected to one of the access points 160 installed at multiple locations within the medical facility. The data acquisition unit 101 acquires information for each consenting patient A, such as the location of the access point to which the patient terminal 210A is connected and the strength of the connection radio wave. Based on this information, the data acquisition unit 101 acquires terminal location information of the patient terminal 210A for each consenting patient A and stores it in the database 112.

[0039] In step S104, a process for generating distribution (crowding) information of consenting patients is carried out. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 121 performs calculations based on the terminal position information of multiple consenting patients A stored in the database 112, and generates distribution (crowding) information of consenting patients A. The generated distribution (crowding) information is stored in the database 112. The distribution (crowding) information is, for example, a map image in which marks indicating the positions of consenting patients (terminals) are superimposed on a map of the medical facility.

[0040] In step S105, a process is performed to display patient distribution (congestion) information for medical staff. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 121 reads out the distribution (congestion) information stored in the database 112 and sends the information to the output unit 132. The output unit 132 displays the distribution (congestion) information, for example, the map image, for medical staff at the medical facility. The output unit 132 may display the map image on the display monitor of the patient information management device 1101, or on a display unit of a medical staff terminal connected to the patient information management device 1101 via a network. By displaying the congestion (distribution) information on the display monitor of the patient information management device 1101 or the display unit of the medical staff terminal, medical staff can grasp the available space in the medical facility and make effective use of the available space.

[0041] In step S106, a process of displaying the service points acquired by the consenting patient for the consenting patient is performed. Specifically, the point calculation unit 122 calculates and obtains the number of points of the service points acquired by the consenting patient A, that is, the number of points assigned to the consenting patient A, based on the information related to the consenting patient A. The point calculation unit 122 stores the obtained number of points in the folder of the consenting patient A in the database 112. The arithmetic processing unit 121 transmits the number of points stored in the folder of the consenting patient A to the data transmission unit 102. The data transmission unit 102 transmits the information on the number of points to the patient terminal 210A held by the consenting patient A. The patient terminal 210A displays the number of points of the service points acquired by the consenting patient A on the display screen of the patient terminal 210 based on the received information on the number of points. Note that the number of points of the service points assigned to the consenting patient A may be a fixed value.

[0042] In step S107, a process of awarding service points to the consenting patients who have completed the medical service is performed. Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 121 identifies the consenting patient A who has received the medical service in the medical facility and completed the medical service. The arithmetic processing unit 121 transfers the service points stored in the folder of the identified consenting patient A who has completed the medical service to the account of the consenting patient A. Note that various timings for awarding the service points can be considered. For example, it can be after the accounting is completed, at the timing when the accounting completion information is obtained from the accounting system installed in the medical facility by the patient information management device 1101, or on the day after the day when the medical service was received.

[0043] In step S108, a process of determining whether to continue the process is performed. Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 121 determines whether to continue the process based on the presence or absence of a command to end the process, the presence or absence of a processing error, etc. If it is determined to continue the process (S108: Yes), the arithmetic processing unit 121 returns the processing step to step S101 and continues the process. On the other hand, if it is determined not to continue the process (S108: No), the arithmetic processing unit 121 ends the process.

[0044] <Effect of the Patient Information Management System> Figure 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the effect of the patient information management system according to Embodiment 1 in comparison with the conventional method. As shown in Figure 4, in the conventional method (the method described in Patent Document 1), obtaining the location information of patients is not actively carried out. For example, when the patient terminal is a mobile phone or the like personally owned by the patient, the agreement regarding the setting (consent) for starting the use of the system for obtaining the patient's location information is unclear. Therefore, there is no basis for increasing the ratio of system users to all patients, that is, the ratio of location information providers. Also, in the conventional method, when the patient is waiting in a waiting room or the like inside the hospital, the location where the patient is located is considered to be inside the hospital, and when the patient goes out outside the hospital, the location where the patient goes out is considered. Therefore, in the conventional method, it is impossible to accurately grasp the location of the patient, and it is difficult to obtain the distribution (congestion) information of the patients in the medical facility with high accuracy.

[0045] On the other hand, in the method according to the present embodiment, the patient can obtain service points only by consenting to the acquisition of the location information of the patient terminal. Therefore, the patient feels attracted to the service points and the motivation to consent to the acquisition of location information increases, and since the number of location information providers increases, it is possible to know the accurate distribution (congestion) information of the patients in the medical facility. Using this distribution (congestion) information, the available space inside the medical facility can be grasped.

[0046] Furthermore, from the distribution (congestion) information, it is possible to know which location or department within the medical facility is congested. For example, when the medical facility is a hospital, it is possible to know which department or examination section is congested, that is, to identify the bottlenecks that are hindering smooth medical treatment. From the location information of the patient terminals, it is possible to calculate the stay time of the patients, that is, the time required for medical treatment / examination, for the departments or examination sections that are bottlenecks. By comparing the stay time of the patients in the departments or examination sections that are bottlenecks with the information in the electronic medical records of those patients (such as disease names, examination items, and responsible persons), it is possible to find issues or clues for solving problems in order to improve the patient turnover rate.

[0047] If the patient turnover rate can be improved, the medical facility can accept more patients. As a result, the revenue of the medical facility can be increased. In recent years, while the number of late-stage elderly patients has increased due to the declining birthrate and aging population, the number of medical facilities or medical staff has tended to decrease. Therefore, improving the patient turnover rate is extremely important.

[0048] <Modification Example 1> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the processing flow in the patient information management device according to Modification Example 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the processing flow according to Modification Example 1 is obtained by adding step S109 to the processing flow shown in FIG. 3. In the processing flow shown in FIG. 5, step S109 is inserted between step S103 and step S104, but the timing of the implementation of step S109, that is, the position on the processing flow, is not limited to this position.

[0049] In step S109, a process of obtaining the waiting time of the patient is performed. Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 121 refers to the information related to the location information of the patient stored in the database 112, and calculates and obtains the waiting time of the patient based on the time when the location information of the patient terminal was obtained, or the elapsed time since the start of obtaining the location information of the patient terminal. The waiting time may be the waiting time for each waiting location of the patient or the total waiting time.

[0050] In step S104, the processing unit 121 may generate distribution information for medical staff based on at least one of the location information of the patient terminal acquired in step S103 and the waiting time acquired in step S109. For example, the processing unit 121 generates a map image as distribution information of the locations of consenting patients A. The map image is, for example, an image created by superimposing information representing the location of each consenting patient A on a map of the medical facility. In the map image, the location of the patient is represented by a mark, and the color, shape, or size of the mark may be changed depending on the patient's waiting time. Alternatively, in the map image, a number, symbol, or code corresponding to the patient's waiting time may be added to the mark representing the patient's location. Furthermore, for example, the processing unit 121 may generate congestion information at a specific location or at each location based on the distribution information of the location of consenting patients A. The processing unit 121 may generate waiting time distribution information representing the distribution of waiting times for consenting patients A.

[0051] In step S105, the calculation processing unit 121 sends at least one of the patient location distribution information, congestion information, and waiting time distribution information generated in step S104 to the output unit 132, and displays the information for medical staff.

[0052] According to this variation 1, medical personnel at a medical facility can grasp the distribution of patients at the medical facility, i.e., the extent of congestion and where it occurs, based on the distribution information. As a result, medical personnel can take measures to alleviate congestion more quickly, more accurately, or more easily. Furthermore, since they can grasp available space, they can make effective use of available space.

[0053] <Variation 2> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a processing flow in a patient information management device according to Modification 2. As shown in Fig. 6, the processing flow according to Modification 2 is obtained by adding step S110 to the processing flow shown in Fig. 5. Note that in the processing flow shown in Fig. 6, step S110 is inserted between step S105 and step S106, but the timing at which step S110 is performed, i.e., the position in the processing flow, is not limited to this position.

[0054] In step S110, a process is performed to calculate the number of service points that consenting patient A should earn based on conditions related to that consenting patient A. Specifically, the point calculation unit 122 calculates, for each consenting patient A, the number of points that consenting patient A will earn, i.e., the number of points to be awarded to that consenting patient A, based on one or more conditions related to that consenting patient A. The one or more conditions related to consenting patient A may include, for example, at least one of the number of times the medical facility is used, the amount paid to the medical facility, the day or time of day when the medical facility is used, the waiting location, the degree of congestion in the waiting location, the waiting time, etc.

[0055] According to this variation 2, the number of service points that a consenting patient can acquire is calculated based on the conditions related to that consenting patient, so that the consenting patient's behavior can be guided to acquire more points. In other words, depending on the conditions set, the medical facility can guide the patient's behavior to comply with the medical facility's requests.

[0056] <Variation 3> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a processing flow in a patient information management device according to Modification 3. As shown in Fig. 7, the processing flow according to Modification 3 is obtained by adding steps S111 and S112 to the processing flow shown in Fig. 6. Note that in the processing flow shown in Fig. 7, steps S111 and S112 are inserted between steps S105 and S110, but the timing at which steps S111 and S112 are performed, i.e., the positions on the processing flow, are not limited to these positions.

[0057] In step S111, a process for setting earned points for each waiting location is performed. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 121 sets, for each waiting location, service points (earned points) per unit waiting time that consenting patient A can earn if he waits at that waiting location, based on the input information. The input information is, for example, information input by the operator of the patient information management device 1101 via the input unit 131. The waiting location may be, for example, various locations within a medical facility or outside the medical facility. The set earned points may, for example, be the number of points that can be earned per minute of waiting time.

[0058] In step S112, a process is performed to display congestion information and earned points at each waiting location for patients. Specifically, the data transmission unit 102 transmits the distribution (crowding) information for consenting patient A generated in step S104 and the information on earned points for each waiting location set in step S111 to the patient terminal 210A of each consenting patient A. Based on the received congestion information and earned point information, each patient terminal 210A displays congestion information for each waiting location and information on the number of points that can be earned per unit waiting time on the screen of the patient terminal 210A. This information is displayed, for example, as a map.

[0059] <Example of a map for patients> FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an earned points display screen displayed on a patient terminal. The example in FIG. 8 is an example in which the medical facility is a hospital. The earned points display screen for each waiting area, as shown in FIG. 8, displays a map of each floor of the hospital and the points that can be earned per minute of waiting time at each waiting area, such as the reception desk of a medical department or examination room on each floor, the plaza, and outside the hospital. Alternatively, each area is determined based on the congestion status of consenting patient A, for example, the degree of congestion, and the earned points per set unit time are displayed for each determined area. In addition, the earned points display screen displays a mark indicating the current location of consenting patient A, i.e., the current location of patient terminal 210A, on the floor map.

[0060] In the example of FIG. 8, in order to facilitate the grasping of the display screen, the congestion situation of the patients is not displayed. However, actually, the congestion situation in each location within the hospital is superimposed and displayed on the map of the hospital. Note that the congestion situation may not be displayed. Also, whether to display the congestion situation may be switched by the consenting patient A operating on the patient terminal 210A.

[0061] According to such a Modification 3, by displaying the congestion situation based on the distribution (congestion) information via the patient terminal 210A, the consenting patient A can grasp the congestion level of the location where he / she is currently waiting. Also, the consenting patient A can grasp the acquisition points, congestion situation, his / her current position, etc. of each waiting location and move to a location that he / she feels is more preferable. From the perspective of the medical facility side, the consenting patient A can be guided outside the medical facility or to an appropriate location within the medical facility.

[0062] <Modification 4> FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a processing flow in the patient information management apparatus according to Modification 4. As shown in FIG. 9, the processing flow according to Modification 4 is obtained by adding step S113 and step S114 to the processing flow shown in FIG. 7. In the processing flow shown in FIG. 9, step S113 and step S114 are inserted between step S105 and step S111. However, the timing of the execution of step S113 and step S114, that is, the position on the processing flow, is not limited to this position.

[0063] In step S113, a process is performed to determine whether or not there is a space that the medical professional wants to reserve. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 121 determines whether or not there is a space that the medical professional wants to reserve based on the input information. The input information is, for example, information input by a medical professional or an operator of the patient information management device 1101 via the input unit 131, and is information indicating that there is a space that the medical professional wants to reserve. Here, if it is determined that there is a space that the medical professional wants to reserve (S113: YES), the process proceeds to step S114. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no space that the medical professional wants to reserve (S113: No), the process proceeds to step S111.

[0064] In step S114, a process is performed in which the medical worker accepts input of a location that the medical worker wishes to reserve. Specifically, the medical worker or operator inputs information specifying the location of the space that the medical worker wishes to reserve in the medical facility via the input unit 131. For example, while viewing a screen displaying a map of the medical facility, the medical worker or operator may specify an area on the map that corresponds to the space that the medical worker wishes to reserve, or may select a desired location from a list of locations. The calculation processing unit 121 accepts input of the location of the space that the medical worker wishes to reserve based on the input information.

[0065] In step S111, if the input of the location to be reserved is accepted in step S114, the calculation processing unit 121 sets a low acquisition point to the waiting location corresponding to the space to be reserved. For example, if the number of points per minute of waiting time when waiting outside a medical facility is X, the number of points per minute of waiting time is set to 0.1X for the waiting location designated by the medical worker.

[0066] According to such a modification example 4, by setting a low acquisition point for a waiting place corresponding to the space that medical staff want to secure, patients can be kept away from the space they want to secure, and it becomes easier to secure the space they want to secure. The secured space can be used, for example, as a place for implementing medical services, a place for installing medical facilities, a part of an emergency patient transportation passage, etc.

[0067] <Method for Assigning Service Points and Its Operation Examples> Here, the method for assigning service points and its operation examples are summarized.

[0068] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for assigning service points and its operation examples. The table shown in FIG. 10 conceptually shows the method for point assignment in the left column and its operation examples in the right column. Here, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of examples are introduced as the method for point assignment, but the concepts of the methods of each example are not independent and some overlap.

[0069] For example, as shown in No. 1 of FIG. 10, when the patient agrees to the acquisition of the position information of the patient terminal, the point calculation unit 122 gives the patient the right to acquire service points. The number of points of service points that an agreeing patient can acquire may be a fixed value or a variable value that changes according to conditions.

[0070] Also, for example, as shown in No. 2 of FIG. 10, the point calculation unit 122 performs point calculation so that the longer the waiting time of the agreeing patient, the larger the number of points given to the agreeing patient. By giving more points as the waiting time gets longer, the effect of keeping the patient waiting at the same place continuously is produced. Since it is painful for the patient to have a long waiting time, an improvement in patient satisfaction can be expected. By continuously keeping the patient waiting at an appropriate place outside or inside the hospital according to Embodiment 1 or various modification examples thereof, the space created can be continuously secured.

[0071] For example, as shown in No. 3 of FIG. 10, the point calculation unit 122 performs point calculation so that the points given to the consenting patients change according to the patient waiting location specified from the location information of the consenting patients and the waiting time of the consenting patients for each patient waiting location.

[0072] Also for example, the point calculation unit 122 performs point calculation so as to discount the points to be given according to the waiting location of the consenting patients. Hereinafter, an example of the point discount method will be described.

[0073] For example, as shown in No. 4 of FIG. 10, the point calculation unit 122 calculates the number of points so that the higher the congestion level during waiting at the waiting location of the consenting patients, the greater the discount on the number of points given to the consenting patients. For example, assume that points are added every minute of waiting time. The number of points to be added is determined by the patient's waiting location. Let the reference value of the number of points per minute be X. For a waiting location with low congestion, 0.7X points are set, for a waiting location with medium congestion, 0.5X points are set, and for a waiting location with high congestion, 0.3X points are set. In this way, by significantly discounting the points as the congestion level at the waiting location increases, patients can be guided to appropriate locations within the medical facility, and congestion within the medical facility can be alleviated.

[0074] Also, for example, as shown in No. 5 of FIG. 10, the point awarding conditions when medical staff are waiting at a designated location are shown. When there is a temporary treatment space or a space for installing medical equipment that the medical staff wants to allocate, the medical staff designates the space to be secured in the patient information management device 1101 or the medical staff terminal 3101. When a consent patient is waiting in the designated space, the point calculation unit 122 performs point calculation so as to discount the number of points to be awarded to the consent patient. For example, as the acquired points for the location designated by the medical staff, 0.1X points per minute of waiting time are set. By discounting the points to be awarded to the patient when the consent patient is waiting in the space designated by the medical staff, the patient can be kept away from the designated space. As a result, an empty space can be created in the space that the medical staff wants to secure.

[0075] Also, for example, as shown in No. 6 of FIG. 10, when the point calculation unit 122 cannot confirm that a consent patient is in the medical facility, that is, when the waiting location of the consent patient is outside the medical facility, the point calculation is performed so as not to perform point discounting. For example, as the acquired points for the waiting location outside the medical facility, X points per minute of waiting time are set. By not discounting the points to be awarded to the patient when the consent patient is waiting outside the medical facility, the patient can be induced to stay outside the medical facility. As a result, the patient occupancy rate inside the medical facility can be reduced, and an empty space can be created.

[0076] (Embodiment 2) FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a medical facility information processing system according to Embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. 11, the medical facility information processing system 1200 according to Embodiment 2 has a configuration in which other devices are connected to the patient information management system 1100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 11 also shows an example of the information communication content between the patient information management device 1101 and other devices.

[0077] The patient information management system 1100 may be connected to an information device 4101 installed in a medical facility such as an electronic medical record device. For example, the data acquisition unit 101 can acquire information from the electronic medical record of a patient stored in the electronic medical record device that can identify the severity of the patient or the difficulty of movement, i.e., the level of difficulty, and the point calculation unit 122 may perform a calculation of the number of points acquired by the patient based on the acquired information.

[0078] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an operation example of point assignment considering the severity of a patient. Patients with high severity are, for example, patients who cannot easily move due to reasons such as severe symptoms, or having a disability or severe injury in the legs, patients with a risk of infecting others, patients determined by medical staff to be required to rest quietly, etc. Patients with low severity are, for example, patients who are not feverish and whose movement is not restricted, patients who come for regular check-ups or follow-up observations, patients who visit dermatology, dentistry, oral surgery, etc. Patients with moderate severity are, for example, patients who are not those exemplified as patients with high severity, nor those exemplified as patients with low severity, patients who have a fever but are not severely ill, patients with fractures in parts other than the legs, etc.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 12, in the normal operation example, the lower the congestion level of the waiting area, the higher the number of points given, and the higher the congestion level of the waiting area, the lower the number of points given. Also, when the waiting area is a location designated by medical staff, for example, a location that medical staff want to secure, the number of points given is even lower. Furthermore, when the waiting area is outside the medical facility, for example, outside the hospital, the number of points given is maximized. Also, for example, based on this operation example, the higher the severity or the difficulty of movement of the patient, the higher the number of points given to that patient, and the lower the severity or the difficulty of movement of the patient, the lower the number of points given to that patient, and such operations are combined. By adding such point-giving operations, that is, adding conditions for point-giving according to the severity or the difficulty of movement of the patient, even for patients who have difficulty freely moving inside and outside the medical facility, by giving points commensurate with the difficulty of movement, that is, the level of difficulty, it is possible to increase the motivation for patients with high severity to consent to the acquisition of terminal position information. As a result, the number of position information providers increases, and it is possible to grasp the accurate distribution (congestion) information of the patients.

[0080] In addition, the patient information management device 1101 may acquire status information such as waiting for medical treatment and waiting for examination of the patient from an information device 4101 such as an electronic medical record device. The patient information management device 1101 may combine the position information of the patient terminal 210A and the status information of the patient to provide a map diagram that can intuitively show which department has many patients waiting for examination or waiting for inspection for medical staff.

[0081] <Example of Map Diagram for Medical Staff> FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a map diagram provided to medical staff. The map diagram can be confirmed, for example, on the patient information management device 1101 or the medical staff terminal 3101. As shown in FIG. 13, the map diagram for medical staff includes, for example, a map of each floor of the medical facility and an image of the information of each position of the patient terminal 210A held by each consenting patient superimposed on the map.

[0082] Furthermore, in the map diagram for medical staff, for example, information indicating the location of patient terminal 210A, i.e., the location of consenting patient A, is displayed in a manner that allows for the distinction between patients waiting for treatment and patients waiting for examinations. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the location of patients waiting for treatment is represented by a circle symbol, and the location of patients waiting for examinations is represented by a ▽ symbol. Furthermore, in the map diagram for medical staff, for example, the location is displayed in a manner that allows for the distinction between which department consenting patient A is waiting for treatment or which examination he is waiting for. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the symbol indicating the location of consenting patient A waiting for treatment in the general surgery department is represented in light blue, the symbol indicating consenting patient A waiting for treatment in the ophthalmology department is represented in blue, the symbol indicating the location of consenting patient A waiting for an X-ray examination is represented in yellow, and the symbol indicating the location of consenting patient A waiting for a CT examination is represented in orange.

[0083] Furthermore, the map diagram for medical professionals displays a bar graph showing the number of patients waiting for treatment and a bar graph showing the number of patients waiting for tests, as shown in Figure 13. In addition, the bar graph for patients waiting for treatment shows the breakdown of the number of patients waiting in each department by color coding, etc. In the bar graph for patients waiting for tests, the breakdown of the number of patients waiting for each test by color coding, etc.

[0084] Based on this map, the patient information management device 1101 may issue task instructions to medical staff in departments with fewer waiting patients to provide support to departments with more waiting times for medical treatment or examinations. Alternatively, medical staff or the operator of the patient information management device 1101 may refer to this map and issue the task instructions. In this way, this map can be used as material for considering possible measures that the hospital can take, such as reducing patient waiting times.

[0085] The patient information management device 1101 may also transmit location information of the patient terminal to an information device 4101 such as an electronic medical record device. When a patient is not waiting nearby when a medical consultation or test call is made, or when a patient needs to be called for a repeat test due to hemolysis or other reasons, it is time-consuming for medical staff to search for the patient. Therefore, by identifying the patient's waiting location based on the location information of the patient terminal acquired by the patient information management device 1101, the burden on medical staff can be reduced.

[0086] <Examples of using service points> The service points may be used instead of money when paying medical expenses in the accounting system 5101 installed in the medical facility. Alternatively, the service points may be exchanged for a right to receive a specific medical service. The medical service may be, for example, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, simple examinations such as an eye test or a blood pressure test, or the use of examination equipment, or the use of entertainment equipment such as a massage chair. The service points may also be used for barcode payments at supermarkets, convenience stores, clothing stores, general stores, restaurants, etc., or for payments for public transportation such as trains, buses, and taxis. The service points may also be electronic money.

[0087] <Additional Notes> The features of the above-described embodiment or other embodiments are as follows, for example.

[0088] [Appendix 1] On the computer, obtaining information on whether the patient has consented to having their location information obtained at the medical facility; A process of granting service points to the patient who has agreed; A process of acquiring location information of a terminal held by the consenting patient; generating distribution information representing a distribution of locations of the consenting patients in the medical facility based on the acquired location information; A program to execute.

[0089] [Appendix 2] A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium on which the program described in [Appendix 1] is recorded.

[0090] [Appendix 3] The service points can be used for at least one of the following purposes: to acquire services or products provided at the medical facility; to exchange for the right to receive services provided at the medical facility; or to pay for services or products provided by facilities, stores, organizations, etc. other than the medical facility.

[0091] [Appendix 4] The distribution information includes congestion information that indicates the degree of congestion of patients at a particular location in the medical facility.

[0092] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 100...communication unit, 101...data acquisition unit, 102...data transmission unit, 110...memory unit, 111...data storage unit, 112...database, 120...calculation unit, 121...calculation processing unit, 122...point calculation unit, 130...input / output unit, 131...input unit, 132...output unit, 140...computer, 141...processor, 142...memory, 143...storage, 144...interface, 151...keyboard, 152...mouse, 153...display monitor, 160...access point group, 210...patient terminal, 1100...patient information management system, 1101...patient information management device, 1200...medical facility information processing system, 3101...medical staff terminal, 4101...information equipment, 5101...accounting system

Claims

1. A patient information management device comprising a computing unit, wherein the computing unit performs a process of obtaining information on whether or not the patient has consented to having their location information in a medical facility obtained, a process of assigning service points to the consenting patients, a process of obtaining the location information of the terminals held by the consenting patients, and a process of generating distribution information representing the distribution of the locations of the plurality of consenting patients in the medical facility based on the obtained location information. Patient information management device.

2. In the patient information management device according to Claim 1, the computing unit performs a process of calculating the waiting time of the consenting patients, and based on the calculated waiting time, performs a process of determining the number of points of the service points assigned to the consenting patients. Patient information management device.

3. In the patient information management device according to Claim 2, the computing unit performs a process of identifying the waiting locations of the consenting patients based on the obtained location information, and in the process of determining the number of points of the service points, determines the number of points based on the identified waiting locations. Patient information management device.

4. In the patient information management device according to Claim 3, the computing unit performs a process of setting the number of points that the consenting patients can obtain per unit waiting time at each of a plurality of locations. Patient information management device.

5. In the patient information management device according to Claim 4, the computing unit performs a process of determining the degree of congestion at each location in the medical facility based on the obtained location information of the terminals, and in the process of setting the number of points that can be obtained, sets a lower number of points at locations with a higher degree of congestion and a higher number of points at locations with a lower degree of congestion. Patient information management device.

6. In the patient information management device according to Claim 4, the computing unit in the process of setting the number of points that can be obtained, sets a higher number of points at locations outside the medical facility than at locations inside the medical facility. Patient information management device.

7. In the patient information management device according to Claim 4, the computing unit performs a process of accepting a designation of a specific location in the medical facility, and in the process of setting the number of points that can be obtained, sets a lower number of points at the designated specific location than the number of points at a location different from the specific location. Patient information management device.

8. ​ In the patient information management device according to claim 4, in the process of awarding service points to the consenting patients, the calculation unit calculates the number of points to be awarded to the patients such that a higher number of points are awarded to the patients with high severity or high difficulty of movement, and a lower number of points are awarded to the patients with low severity or low difficulty of movement. Patient information management device.

9. In the patient information management device according to claim 4, the calculation unit executes a process of outputting, to the patient, information representing the number of points that the consenting patient can obtain per unit waiting time set at the plurality of locations. Patient information management device.

10. In the patient information management device according to claim 1, the calculation unit executes a process of outputting, to the medical staff of the medical facility, the distribution information or the congestion information representing the congestion status of the consenting patients based on the distribution information. Patient information management device.

11. In the patient information management device according to claim 1, the calculation unit executes a process of outputting, to the consenting patients, the distribution information or the congestion information representing the congestion status of the consenting patients based on the distribution information. Patient information management device.

12. In the patient information management device according to claim 1, the terminal held by the patient is a terminal lent to the patient by the medical facility or a terminal owned by the patient. Patient information management device.

13. In the patient information management device according to claim 1, the medical facility is a hospital. Patient information management device.

14. A patient information management system including a patient information management device and a terminal held by a patient and wirelessly connected to the patient information management device. The patient information management device includes a calculation unit. The calculation unit executes a process of obtaining information on whether the patient has consented to the acquisition of the patient's location information in the medical facility, a process of awarding service points to the consenting patients, a process of obtaining the location information of the terminal held by the consenting patients, and a process of generating distribution information representing the distribution of the locations of the plurality of consenting patients in the medical facility based on the obtained location information. Patient information management system.

15. A computer performs a process of obtaining information on whether the patient has consented to the acquisition of the patient's location information in the medical facility, a process of awarding service points to the consenting patients, a process of obtaining the location information of the terminal held by the consenting patients, and a process of generating distribution information representing the distribution of the locations of the plurality of consenting patients in the medical facility based on the obtained location information. a process of outputting, to the medical staff of the medical facility, the distribution information or the congestion information representing the congestion status of the consenting patients based on the distribution information. A computer performs a process of obtaining information on whether the patient has consented to the acquisition of the patient's location information in the medical facility, a process of awarding service points to the consenting patients, a process of obtaining the location information of the terminal held by the consenting patients, and a process of generating distribution information representing the distribution of the locations of the plurality of consenting patients in the medical facility based on the obtained location information. A process of acquiring position information of a terminal held by the consented patient, and A process of generating distribution information representing the distribution of positions of a plurality of the consented patients in the medical facility based on the acquired position information, and execute A patient information management method

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