Server device, computer program, and health maintenance supporting method

Abstract

To continuously provide information for supporting health condition maintenance to patients who have received medication instructions.SOLUTION: A server device 12 is capable of communicating with a client device 11 to which information is provided. A communication interface 121 receives patient information PT including information indicating a patient's medication history from the client device 11. A processor 122 generates guidance information GD related to disease risk estimated for the patient based on the patient information PT and transmits it to the client device 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server device capable of communicating with a client device that provides information. The present disclosure also relates to a computer program executable by a processor installed in the server device. The present disclosure also relates to a health maintenance support method executed by the client device and the server device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for supporting medication instruction given by a pharmacist to a patient who receives prescribed medication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6381088 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patients who have received medication instructions are required to be continuously provided with information to help them maintain their health. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect provided by the present disclosure is a server device capable of communicating with a client device to which information is provided, the server device comprising: an interface that accepts patient information from the client device, the patient information including information indicating the patient's medication history; a processor that generates guidance information related to a predicted disease risk for the patient based on the patient information and transmits the guidance information to the client device; It is equipped with:

[0006] One aspect provided by the present disclosure is a computer program executable by a processor installed in a server device capable of communicating with a client device that provides information, the computer program comprising: When executed, the server device receiving patient information from the client device, the patient information including information indicating a patient's medication history; generating guidance information related to a predicted disease risk for the patient based on the patient information; The guidance information is transmitted to the client device.

[0007] One aspect provided by the present disclosure is a health maintenance support method executed by a client device that provides information and a server device that is installed in a location remote from the client device, the method comprising: transmitting patient information including information indicating a patient's medication history from the client device to the server device; Guidance information related to a disease risk estimated for the patient, which is generated based on the patient information, is transmitted from the client device to the server device.

[0008] According to the configurations of the above-described exemplary embodiments, new information, such as disease risk estimated based on the patient's medication history information, can be provided to the patient as guidance information after receiving medication instructions. When the guidance information is transmitted to a client device used by the patient, the patient can refer to the guidance information in their daily lives and review their health condition and lifestyle. When the guidance information is transmitted to a client device used by a medical institution that prescribes medications, the estimated disease risk can be reflected in the content of future medication instructions. In other words, medication instructions can be provided by adding information such as precautions in consideration of the estimated disease risk, in addition to information regarding the dosage and administration described in the package insert of the specific medication to be prescribed. Therefore, information to support the maintenance of health status can be continuously provided to patients who have received medication instructions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates the configuration of a medication instruction system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 illustrates an example of the functional configuration of the client device and the server device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 illustrates an example of a flow of processing executed by the medication instruction system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 3 illustrates a method for generating the guidance information of FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Examples of embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings referred to in the following description, the scale of each illustrated element is changed as necessary to make it recognizable.

[0011] 1 illustrates the configuration of a medication instruction support system 10 according to one embodiment. The medication instruction support system 10 includes a client device 11 and a server device 12.

[0012] The client device 11 is used by a medical institution that provides medication instruction or a patient that receives the medication instruction. Therefore, there may be multiple client devices 11. The client device 11 may be a stationary device that is installed in a specific location, or may be a portable device that can be carried by a user.

[0013] The server device 12 is installed at a location remote from the client device 11. The client device 11 and the server device 12 are configured to be able to perform two-way data communication via a communication network 20.

[0014] The term "medical institution" used in this specification refers to an institution where medical professionals provide explanations about pharmaceuticals to patients. Examples of medical institutions include hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics, medical offices, dispensing pharmacies, drug stores, drug stores, and nursing homes. Therefore, the term "medical professionals" used in this specification is used to include not only pharmacists but also doctors and nurses.

[0015] 2, the client device 11 includes a communication interface 111. On the other hand, the server device 12 includes a communication interface 121. Each of the communication interface 111 and the communication interface 121 is a hardware interface configured to enable the above-described two-way data communication.

[0016] The client device 11 includes a user interface 112 and a processor 113. The user interface 112 is a hardware interface that mediates the exchange of information between a user and the processor 113. The user interface 112 and the processor 113 may be mounted in a common housing, or may be provided in a distributed manner in independent housings.

[0017] The user interface 112 is configured to accept input of patient information PT by a user. The patient information PT can be input via a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel input device, a voice input device, or the like. The user may be a medical professional or the patient himself / herself. The patient information PT does not need to be input all at once from the same client device 11. In other words, each element of the patient information PT listed below may be input by a different user from a different client device 11.

[0018] Patient information PT includes at least basic patient information and medication history information. Basic information is information collected regardless of the patient's illness or background. Examples of such information include name, gender, age, height, and weight. Basic information needs to include at least one of these pieces of information. Medication history information is information that shows the medication history of a patient who has received medication instructions. In addition to medications prescribed to the patient by a medical institution, medication history may also include over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, supplements, and alternative medicines. Medication history may include drug usage, dosage, route of administration, dosage form, and treatment period.

[0019] The patient information PT may include information indicating a chief complaint. A chief complaint refers to the most important medical condition or state (symptom, symptom, etc.) that a patient is complaining about or experiencing.

[0020] The patient information PT may include information indicating the history of the present illness. The history of the present illness is detailed information related to the chief complaint, including at least one of the date of onset, severity, duration of onset, course, treatment history, and impact on daily life.

[0021] The patient information PT may include information indicating a medical history. The medical history refers to the history of illnesses and treatments the patient has received up to now. The medical history may include at least one of a serious illness, a history of surgery, and a history of trauma.

[0022] The patient information PT may include information indicating family history, which refers to the illnesses currently being treated and past medical history of the patient's family or relatives.

[0023] The patient information PT may include information indicating a social history. The social history may include information about the patient's social status and environmental factors that contribute to the development of the disease. Examples of social information include marital status, occupation, eating and exercise habits, and whether and how much they smoke or drink.

[0024] The patient information PT may include information indicating a history of allergies to drugs, foods, pets, and environmental factors (dust, pollen, etc.), as well as a history of adverse reactions to drugs.

[0025] The patient information PT may include information indicating physical findings. Physical findings are the results of a physical examination by a medical professional, and may include vital signs as well as findings indicating the state of organs, nerves, and skin.

[0026] The patient information PT may include information indicating test results, which are the results of various tests, and may include at least one of specimen tests such as blood and urine tests, physiological tests such as electrocardiograms, and imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans.

[0027] The patient information PT may include prescription drug information, which indicates newly prescribed medications that are not included in the medication history or that are scheduled to be newly prescribed.

[0028] The patient information PT may include the patient's condition as heard by a medical professional or the like. The hearing may be conducted through a person-to-person dialogue or a machine-to-person dialogue. The dialogue between a machine and a person may be conducted using an appropriate method via a man-machine interface.

[0029] The processor 113 is configured to transmit the patient information PT received by the user interface 112 from the communication interface 111 to the server device 12.

[0030] The server device 12 includes a processor 122 and a storage 123. The storage 123 is a storage device realized by a semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, or the like. The processor 122 is configured to store the patient information PT received by the communication interface 121 in the storage 123. The processor 122 and the storage 123 may be mounted in a common housing, or may be provided in a distributed manner in multiple independent housings.

[0031] 3 illustrates an example of the flow of a method for supporting medication instruction executed by the client device 11 and the server device 12. The term "medication instruction" used in this specification means the act of providing guidance information to ensure the appropriate use of a prescribed drug when (or before) the drug is handed over to a patient. The guidance information may include an explanation of the drug's usage, dosage, precautions for use, and possible side effects associated with use.

[0032] As described above, patient information PT is input through the user interface 112 of the client device 11 (STEP 11). The patient information PT may be input when filling out a medical questionnaire following a first visit to a medical institution or when a drug is prescribed, or may be input prior to the first visit. When the patient information PT is input when a drug is prescribed, the patient information PT includes the above-mentioned prescribed drug information.

[0033] Next, the processor 113 of the client device 11 transmits the patient information PT to the server device 12 through the communication interface 111 (STEP 12).

[0034] The processor 122 of the server device 12 stores the patient information PT received through the communication interface 121 in the storage 123 (STEP 21).

[0035] The patient information PT stored in the server device 12 may be transmitted to the client device 11 based on a call instruction, and the patient information PT updated in the client device 11 may then be transmitted to the server device 12.

[0036] Next, the processor 122 generates guidance information GD based on the patient information PT (STEP 22). The guidance information GD is information related to the disease risk estimated for the patient identified by the patient information PT. As used herein, the term "disease risk" refers to a situation in which a specific disease has occurred, a situation in which the disease is suspected to have occurred, a situation in which the disease is likely to have occurred, or the like.

[0037] As illustrated in Figure 4, the (N + M) items included in the patient information PT are divided into a first group PT1 including N items and a second group PT2 including M items. It can be arbitrarily determined in advance which group each of the items that can be included in the patient information PT listed above belongs to. For example, items related to basic information can be included in the first group PT1, and items related to medication history information can be included in the second group PT2.

[0038] In this case, the generated guidance information GD may include (N x M) information elements. For example, if the third item related to medication history information in the second group PT2 is confirmed for the second item related to basic information in the first group PT1, the information element identified by "information 23" will be included in the guidance information GD. The number of information elements included in the guidance information GD may be multiple, depending on the number of referenced items.

[0039] As an example, if the patient information PT includes an information element that suggests "high dietary salt intake," the guidance information GD is generated to include an information element indicating "high risk of hypertension."

[0040] As another example, if the patient information PT includes an information element indicating that the patient is "under treatment for diabetes," the guidance information GD is generated to include an information element indicating that "reducing the HbA1c value by 1% reduces the risk of complications."

[0041] As another example, when the patient information PT includes information elements corresponding to the answer results of a questionnaire about symptoms, the guidance information GD is generated so as to include information elements indicating possible diseases that are suspected based on the symptoms.

[0042] The processor 122 is configured to transmit the generated guidance information GD from the communication interface 121 to the client device 11 (STEP 23 in FIG. 3).

[0043] The processor 113 of the client device 11 is configured to output the guidance information GD received by the communication interface 121 from the user interface 112 (STEP 13 in FIG. 3). In other words, the user interface 112 is configured to provide the guidance information GD to the user. The guidance information GD can be output via a display device, a printer, or the like.

[0044] According to the configuration of this embodiment, new information, such as disease risk estimated based on the patient's medication history information, can be provided to the patient as guidance information GD. When the guidance information GD is transmitted to the client device 11 used by the patient, the patient can refer to the guidance information GD in their daily lives and review their health condition and lifestyle. When the guidance information GD is transmitted to the client device 11 used by a medical institution that prescribes drugs, the estimated disease risk can be reflected in the content of future medication guidance. In other words, medication guidance can be provided by adding information such as points to note in consideration of the estimated disease risk, in addition to information regarding the dosage and administration described in the package insert of the specific drug to be prescribed. Therefore, information to support the maintenance of health status can be continuously provided to patients who have received medication guidance.

[0045] Therefore, the guidance information GD provided to the patient preferably includes information related to recommended behaviors in light of the estimated disease risk, such as dietary and exercise habits, and the level of smoking and alcohol consumption.

[0046] By providing information on recommended actions as well as precautions regarding the use and dosage of prescribed medications, it is possible to provide greater support for maintaining health.

[0047] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the user interface 112 of the client device 11 is configured to also accept input of history information HS by the patient user. The history information HS includes a history of at least one of items purchased for the patient and food and drink consumed by the patient. The history information HS may be input via a keyboard, mouse, touch panel input device, voice input device, etc., or may be acquired from data associated with a household accounting app or a food record app running on the client device 11. The history information HS constitutes part of the patient information PT.

[0048] It should be noted that "items purchased for patients" do not necessarily have to be items purchased by the patient themselves. "Items purchased for patients" includes items purchased by guardians or caregivers for children, elderly people, or other individuals who are unable to purchase items for themselves.

[0049] With this configuration, the patient's consumption behavior and daily dietary behavior can be used sequentially to estimate the patient's disease risk, thereby improving the continuity of providing information to support the maintenance of health.

[0050] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the client device 11 can accept the patient information PT that has been updated after the guidance information GD has been provided, and transmit it to the server device 12 (STEP 14).

[0051] In this case, the processor 122 of the server device 12 may execute feedback to the algorithm that generates the guidance information GD based on the received patient information PT (STEP 24). For example, if the patient information PT indicates that the patient's condition worsened as a result of the provision of certain guidance information GD, the algorithm is modified to suppress the provision of that guidance information GD. On the other hand, if the patient's condition improved as a result of the provision of that guidance information GD, the algorithm is modified to increase the priority of that guidance information GD.

[0052] Thereafter, the process proceeds to STEP 22, where the processor 122 generates new guide information GD based on the modified algorithm and transmits it to the client device 11.

[0053] With this configuration, any changes in the patient that occur after the guidance information GD is provided can be reflected in the content of the guidance information GD that is provided next time.

[0054] The processor 113 of the client device 11 and the processor 122 of the server device 12, each having the various functions described above, may be realized by a general-purpose microprocessor operating in cooperation with a general-purpose memory. Examples of the general-purpose microprocessor include a CPU, an MPU, and a GPU. Examples of the general-purpose memory include a ROM and a RAM. In this case, the ROM may store a computer program that executes the above-described processes. The ROM is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored. The general-purpose microprocessor specifies at least a portion of the program stored in the ROM, expands it on the RAM, and executes the above-described processes in cooperation with the RAM. The computer program may be pre-installed in the general-purpose memory, or may be downloaded from an external server device via a communication network and then installed in the general-purpose memory. In this case, the external server device is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored.

[0055] Each of the processors 113 and 122 may be realized by a dedicated integrated circuit capable of executing the computer program, such as a microcontroller, an ASIC, or an FPGA. In this case, the computer program is pre-installed in a memory element included in the dedicated integrated circuit. The memory element is an example of a computer-readable medium on which a computer program is stored. Each of the processors 113 and 122 may also be realized by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a dedicated integrated circuit.

[0056] The configurations described above are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present disclosure. Each configuration example may be appropriately modified or combined with other configuration examples without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 11: Client device, 12: Server device, 121: Communication interface, 122: Processor, GD: Guidance information, PT: Patient information

Claims

1. A server device capable of communicating with a client device to which information is provided, an interface that accepts patient information from the client device, the patient information including information indicating the patient's medication history; a processor that generates guidance information related to a predicted disease risk for the patient based on the patient information and transmits the guidance information to the client device; Equipped with Server device.

2. The patient information further includes at least one of vital information of the patient, information related to the patient's lifestyle, information related to the patient's medical history, and information related to items purchased for the patient. The server device according to claim 1 .

3. the guidance information includes information related to recommended behavior in light of the disease risk; 3. The server device according to claim 1.

4. A computer program executable by a processor installed in a server device capable of communicating with a client device that provides information, When executed, the server device receiving patient information from the client device, the patient information including information indicating a patient's medication history; generating guidance information related to a predicted disease risk for the patient based on the patient information; transmitting the guidance information to the client device; Computer program.

5. A health maintenance support method executed by a client device that provides information and a server device that is installed in a location remote from the client device, comprising: transmitting patient information including information indicating a patient's medication history from the client device to the server device; transmitting guidance information related to a disease risk estimated for the patient, which is generated based on the patient information, from the client device to the server device; How to help maintain your health.

Images