Method and system for assessing incontinence products

Abstract

A method and system for performing a computer-based comparison of processes of use of sets of incontinence products. A processor of a computing device, such as an evaluation server, is configured to receive, for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system, first assessment time-series data regarding a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, second assessment time-series data regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, and a wearer profile record. The processor is further configured to generate values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first and second assessment time-series data and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY The present disclosure generally relates to an assessment server and interactive assessment tool for computer assessment and representation that facilitates the process of incontinence product use. [Background technology]

[0002] Hygiene products, such as incontinence products, are widely used worldwide by various groups of people who suffer from incontinence, i.e., the involuntary and uncontrolled discharge of bladder or bowel contents, or who have trouble using the toilet independently. For example, it is relatively common for elderly, disabled, and bedridden individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and similar facilities to suffer from incontinence and, as a result, may not always anticipate or control their need to go to the toilet. For this reason, such individuals often use absorbent products, such as incontinence pads, pants, napkins, and diapers. Such individuals typically require the assistance of a nurse or other caregiver to manually check whether their incontinence products need changing.

[0003] As the world's population as a whole ages, nursing homes, hospitals, and other care systems may be overwhelmed with the effort and expense required to care for individuals with incontinence problems. More particularly, it may be difficult to determine which incontinence products to use in a manner that allows for reduced costs and manual effort required to operate the care system.

[0004] Typically, the decision to order a product is based on the product's characteristics and primarily its cost. The product manufacturer or distributor may provide a physical sample of the product for use in the care system, and residents may be encouraged to wear the product. The assessment of new or modified products, if performed at all, is usually manual and subjective. Furthermore, product selection may be made without consideration of the effect that product replacement may have on the care system as a whole.

[0005] Thus, there remains a need for improved methods for the proper management of incontinence product selection and use. Summary of the Invention

[0006] It is an object of embodiments of the present disclosure to address the above-mentioned need for improved techniques for the assessment of the process of use of various types of incontinence or containment products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques that address the above needs. In particular, a computer assessment tool or platform is provided for the computer assessment and representation of the process of incontinence product use. A system including an assessment server and assessment tool according to aspects of the present disclosure enables deriving values ​​of multiple assessment parameters associated with a computer-generated assessment of the process of use of a particular set of one or more incontinence products. The assessment server and assessment tool perform computer-generated comparisons of the process of use of different sets of incontinence products. In this manner, results of the operation of the assessment server and assessment tool enable a care system to indicate the value of selecting a particular set of incontinence products versus one or more other sets of incontinence products.

[0008] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: receiving first assessment time series data relating to a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer during a first assessment period; receiving second assessment time series data during a second assessment period regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; and receiving a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer; the first assessment time series data includes assessments of a first assessment parameter associated with use of a first set of one or more incontinence products by the wearer, and the second assessment time series data includes assessments of a second assessment parameter associated with use of a second set of incontinence products by the wearer; the first process of use comprises a plurality of first steps, and the second process of use comprises a plurality of second steps; receiving, for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step; and A computer-implemented method is provided that is executed by at least one processor of an evaluation server configured to: receive first assessment time series data and second assessment time series data, and in response to receiving a wearer profile record for each wearer from a plurality of wearers, generate values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between a first process of use and a second process of use based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

[0009] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the objective is achieved by the inventive concept disclosed herein. The technical effect includes determining values ​​of evaluation parameters associated with a process of use of a particular set of one or more incontinence products to be evaluated for adoption by a care system for a particular wearer. The values ​​of the evaluation parameters determined for a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products are compared with values ​​of the evaluation parameters determined for a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products. In this manner, the present system and method use computer-based assessment and evaluation to generate values ​​of the evaluation parameters that provide a computer representation of the effect or impact on the care system and individual wearers of changing from a particular set of incontinence products to another set of incontinence products, where the change may be to or from a different set of products for different wearers within the care system. In this manner, the impact of changing between sets of incontinence products in a care system can be automatically evaluated, which advantageously improves wearer well-being and saves costs and time associated with operating the care system. Additionally, the environmental impact of operating the care system may be reduced.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided that is executed by at least one processor of a ratings server configured to:

[0011] In certain examples, the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters indicate a comparison between a first plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a first process of use of a first set and a second plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set.

[0012] In a particular example, the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters indicate a ratio between a first plurality of evaluation parameters and a second plurality of evaluation parameters.

[0013] In a particular example, the method further includes, after receiving the first assessment time series data, a step of receiving sensor data acquired from a test incontinence product, wherein the test incontinence product is used by a wearer during an information collection period, and the test incontinence product includes a wireless sensor configured to measure the excretion activity of a wearer using the test incontinence product as sensor data including the measured test excretion data, and configured to send the measured test excretion data to an evaluation server.

[0014] In certain examples, a second set of one or more incontinence products may be selected based on sensor data obtained from the test incontinence products.

[0015] In a particular example, the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data are received via an assessment user interface of an assessment tool.

[0016] In certain examples, the first assessment period and the second assessment period may have the same duration. In certain examples, the first assessment period and the second assessment period may have different durations.

[0017] In certain examples, the method may further include instructing rendering on the user interface a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters. In certain examples, the user interface may include a filter-based user interface including a user-selectable filter field for selecting at least one or more profile groups from the plurality of profile groups. In certain examples, the filter-based user interface may be configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter field.

[0018] In certain examples, generating a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters may include generating a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to two or more selected profile groups, such as three or more profile groups or all profile groups of the care system.

[0019] For example, the evaluation parameters may include one or more of at least two or all of: change in total absorption, skin health, efficiency of care (staff or caregiver time), sustainability, and total economic value change. For example, the evaluation parameters may include at least efficiency of care (staff or caregiver time) or change in total economic value including the cost of staff or caregiver time.

[0020] In certain examples, the computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may include a first icon representing a corresponding evaluation parameter from the plurality of evaluation parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding evaluation parameter.

[0021] In certain examples, the wearer is assigned to a profile group from a plurality of profile groups based on at least the wearer's toileting pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability.

[0022] In certain examples, the first assessment time series data includes one or more of a skin assessment, a change of the first set of incontinence products, feces in the first set of incontinence products, going to the toilet, a cleansing and protection event, an occurrence of urinary leakage, a clothing change event, a linen change event, an application of the first set of daytime incontinence products, and an application of the first set of nighttime incontinence products.

[0023] In certain examples, the second assessment time series data includes one or more of skin assessments, changes of the second set of incontinence products, feces in the second set of incontinence products, toilet visits, cleansing and protection events, occurrences of urinary leakage, clothing change events, linen change events, application of the second set of daytime incontinence products, and application of the second set of nighttime incontinence products.

[0024] In certain examples, the first assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of a first set of one or more incontinence products and the second assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of a second set of one or more incontinence products are the same parameter.

[0025] In certain examples, the method may further include automatically sending to an external computer a request for a second set of specific quantities of incontinence products to be delivered to the care system when the value of at least one of the plurality of evaluation parameters reaches or exceeds a threshold value.

[0026] In certain examples, the method may further include automatically generating a recommendation to the care system regarding a second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products. In certain examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to at least one step from a plurality of second steps of the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products. In certain examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to a configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

[0027] In certain examples, the method may further include generating an indication to a care system, the indication recommending that the care system use the second set of incontinence products.

[0028] In certain examples, the method may further include automatically generating a recommendation to the care system regarding a second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products. In certain examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to at least one step from a plurality of second steps of the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products. In certain examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to a configuration of the second set of incontinence products. In certain examples, the recommendation to the care system may be generated using sensor data acquired from the test incontinence products.

[0029] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an assessment server including at least one processor, the at least one processor comprising: For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: receiving first assessment time series data relating to a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer during a first assessment period; receiving second assessment time series data during a second assessment period regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; and receiving a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer; the first assessment time series data includes assessments of a first assessment parameter associated with use of a first set of one or more incontinence products by the wearer, and the second assessment time series data includes assessments of a second assessment parameter associated with use of a second set of incontinence products by the wearer; the first process of use comprises a plurality of first steps, and the second process of use comprises a plurality of second steps; receiving, for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step; and In response to receiving the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data and receiving a wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, the device is configured to generate values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

[0030] In certain examples, at least one processor of the assessment server is configured to perform methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] In a particular example, the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data are received from a computing device.

[0032] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system including a computing device and a ratings server. For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: receiving first assessment time series data relating to a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer during a first assessment period; receiving second assessment time series data during a second assessment period regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; receiving a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer; the first assessment time series data includes assessments of a first assessment parameter associated with use of a first set of one or more incontinence products by the wearer, and the second assessment time series data includes assessments of a second assessment parameter associated with use of a second set of incontinence products by the wearer; the first process of use comprises a plurality of first steps, and the second process of use comprises a plurality of second steps; receiving, for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step; and The device includes at least one processor configured to, in response to receiving the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data and receiving a wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, generate values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

[0033] In a particular example, in the system, at least one processor of the assessment server is configured to perform a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided that includes instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program product including instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036]

[0013] Further features and advantages are disclosed in the following description, claims, and drawings. Furthermore, further advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure or will be recognized by practicing the present disclosure as described herein. A control unit, a computer program product, and a computer-readable medium related to the above-discussed technical effects and corresponding advantages are also disclosed herein.

[0037] A more detailed description of aspects of the present disclosure, given by way of example, follows below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example architecture of a computer system on which methods according to aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2A] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a computer-implemented method according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a computer-implemented method according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 illustrates communication between devices in the computer system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 10 is a flow chart illustrating a method for selecting a second set of incontinence products according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a computer-implemented method according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an assessment tool for the computer system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an assessment tool for the computer system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6C] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an assessment tool for the computer system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6D] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an assessment tool for the computer system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6E] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an assessment tool for the computer system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7A] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a filter-based user interface according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a filter-based user interface according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 10 is a snapshot of an example of a filter-based user interface according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 10 is a snapshot of another example of a filter-based user interface according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computing device for implementing examples disclosed herein, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer server for implementing examples disclosed herein, according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] A variety of incontinence products have been developed for the comfort and dignity of elderly and disabled individuals, such as long-term care residents. At the same time, for example, selecting the appropriate type of product and determining the number of products needed in a particular care facility or system remains a challenge. Selecting a product for a wearer is often performed manually without considering the person's characteristics and without determining the effect that selecting a particular product or type of product may have on the wearer and the overall operation of the care system. While systems and digital tools exist for computerizing the management of individuals in care systems, there remains a need for improved computerized methods for acquiring, analyzing, and using data related to the use of incontinence products in a care system or another environment.

[0040] Therefore, it is an object of embodiments of the present disclosure to provide systems and methods for acquiring and processing data related to the process of using a particular type of incontinence product, and for facilitating automated decision-making regarding incontinence product selection.

[0041] The objective is achieved by providing a technology-implemented interactive tool, referred to herein as an assessment platform or tool, implemented in a system including a computing device and an assessment server in communication with the computing device and other computing devices. The assessment platform or tool is executed by the computing device. The processing circuitry of the computing device and the processing circuitry of the assessment server are configured to perform methods according to aspects of the present disclosure, as described in detail below.

[0042] 1 illustrates a computer system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The computer system 100 includes a computer system or device 102 and an assessment server 104 that communicate over a network, such as a wireless communications network. The computer system 100 also includes a data storage device 106 accessible by the computer device 102 and the assessment server 104.

[0043] A computing device 102, such as a personal computer, smartphone, tablet, personal digital assistant (PDA), or any other user electronic device, may be associated with a care system and / or a user, such as a caregiver. The computing system or device 102 may encompass more than one, for example, two or more, computing devices associated with and controlled by a care system, such as a person or group of people within the care system. Multiple wearers of incontinence products may be associated with the care system. In some cases, the computing device 102 may be a specialized computing device configured for use by staff in a care system, such as a nursing home, hospice, or other facility. However, it should be noted that the computing device 102 may be any type of computing device, as aspects of the present disclosure are not limited in this respect.

[0044] The evaluation server 104 may be a machine, such as a computer server, that communicates with multiple user computer devices. The computer devices may be associated with different care systems, each having one or more associated computer devices. A computer device in a care system may be registered with the evaluation server 104, and another user, such as a care system or a person, may have an account created for that user with the evaluation server 104. A user is defined as a user of a service provided by the evaluation server 104, such as a service provided by an assessment platform or tool. As shown in FIG. 1 , the evaluation server 104 may include a user account manager 145 that stores account information for each registered user, such as a care system or a person, and manages accounts and communications with the user. The evaluation server 104 may acquire data from multiple users and, as discussed in more detail below, may provide processing results, such as values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters related to a computer-generated evaluation of a process of use of a particular set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer, e.g., a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer, calculated based on data acquired from the multiple care systems. The assessment server 104 may be a physical server. In some embodiments, the assessment server 104 may be a cloud server running in a cloud computing environment, i.e., the assessment server 104 may be virtualized and its resources may be available to users remotely via a wireless communications network.

[0045] 1 , computing device 102 has memory 108 that stores computer-executable instructions and processing circuitry 110 operably coupled to memory 108 and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions, causing processing circuitry 110 to perform methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. Memory 108 may include one or more storage media, such as, for example, a physical device including a hard drive, flash memory, persistent memory such as read-only memory (“ROM”), semi-persistent memory such as random access memory (“RAM”), any other suitable type of storage component, or any combination thereof. Processing circuitry 110 may control the writing of data to and reading of data from memory 108. To perform any of the functions described herein, processing circuitry 110 may execute one or more processor-executable instructions stored in memory 108, which may act as one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores processor-executable instructions for execution by processing circuitry 110.

[0046] The computing device 102 may include an assessment and assessment tool 112, referred to herein as an assessment tool, which may be, for example, a platform or application (or app) installed on or accessed via the computing device 102. For example, the assessment tool 112 may be downloaded from the assessment server 104 or from another computing device or server and installed for execution on the computing device 102. In some cases, the assessment tool 112 may be executed on more than one physical computing device, such that it may be accessed via more than one computing device in a care system, for example. The assessment server 104 may be a cloud server, and the assessment tool 112 may be executed on the server 104 and therefore accessible via a wireless communications network.

[0047] The assessment tool 112 may present an assessment user interface (UI) 114 on the computing device 102 or on a display associated with the computing device 102. The assessment UI 114 is a graphical user interface configured to present fields and / or other UI elements for receiving user input data regarding the process of use of the incontinence product worn by the wearer. Thus, the assessment UI 114 is used to obtain user input data that may be processed by the assessment tool 112 and sent by the assessment tool 112 to the evaluation server 104.

[0048] In some examples, the assessment tool 112 may present a UI for receiving care system settings, a UI for receiving assessment settings, and a UI for presenting assessment results, in addition to the assessment UI 114. Other UIs may additionally or alternatively be presented. Different UIs may be accessed via the assessment tool 112, as discussed in more detail below in connection with FIG. 6A . Access to some of the assessment tool 112's UIs may be restricted. For example, in a care system, personnel may encompass people with different levels or tiers of access to information presented in the UIs rendered by the assessment tool 112. Information presented in one or more of the UIs may only be allowed to be modified by people with a certain level of access. For example, the assessment UI 114 may be configured to receive user input data from caregivers or similar types of personnel. Administrative staff may have access to the assessment UI 114 and may be able to edit information within the assessment UI. At the same time, access to the UI for receiving care system settings, the UI for receiving assessment settings, and the UI for presenting assessment results may be restricted to administrative personnel, who may also have different tiers of access. For example, one type of administrative personnel may be allowed to access the UI for receiving care system settings, while another type of administrative personnel may be allowed to access the UI for presenting assessment results.

[0049] As shown schematically in FIG. 1 , the assessment UI 114 may be used to acquire assessment time series data 116, such as first assessment time series data 118 and second assessment time series data 120, which may be acquired regarding the process of use of each set of incontinence products. Systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure provide a platform for computerized analysis of data acquired regarding the process of use of a set of incontinence products, such that sets of incontinence products may be compared with each other. A set of incontinence products, also referred to herein as an incontinence product set, may include one or more products of one or more types. For example, a set of incontinence products may include day-type products, i.e., products intended to be worn during the day, night-type products, i.e., products intended to be worn at night, and other defined products. A set of incontinence products encompasses the incontinence products worn by a particular wearer during an assessment period and for which an assessment is being performed. A set of incontinence products, including one or more products, is associated with the process of use of one or more products in the set.

[0050] For a particular wearer, the assessment time series data may be obtained for a set of incontinence products that the wearer has previously worn and that is different from another set of incontinence products for which comparison data exists. In the examples herein, the first assessment time series data may be a first set of one or more incontinence products, the first set being associated with a first process of use that includes a first plurality of steps. The first set may be a set of incontinence products previously worn by the wearer. The second assessment time series data may be a second set of one or more incontinence products, the second set being associated with a second process of use that includes a second plurality of steps, the second set being a set of incontinence products evaluated during the current assessment period and compared with the first set of incontinence products. As used herein, "previously worn" may mean that the wearer wore the first set of products before the current assessment period or at any other time before the current assessment. In other words, the first set of incontinence products, referred to herein as first assessment time series data, may be any type of set of incontinence products for which assessment time series data has been obtained. Furthermore, in some examples, the first assessment time series data is acquired immediately before the second assessment time series data is acquired, i.e., the current assessment period immediately follows the assessment period during which the plurality of evaluation parameters were generated for the first process of use of the first set of incontinence products. It should be understood that the first assessment time series data may be acquired for the first process of use of the first set of incontinence products at any time relative to the acquisition of the second assessment time series data, including only during the assessment period and not during use in the care system. As discussed in more detail below, regardless of the timing of the acquisition of the first assessment time series data, this data is considered baseline or base data, while the second assessment time series data is considered effect data to which the base data is compared.

[0051] By way of example, when it is desired to assess whether a change from a first set of incontinence products to a second set of incontinence products is predicted to be beneficial to the wearer and / or the care system, first assessment time series data 118 may be obtained for the first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, and second assessment time series data 120 may be obtained for the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. For a particular wearer, both the first assessment time series data 118 and the second assessment time series data 120 may be obtained.

[0052] Additionally, the process of use of different sets of incontinence products, including different sets among at least some of the wearers, may be analyzed during the assessment period so that the effects of changing from and to different products are evaluated for different wearers.

[0053] The second set of incontinence products includes one or more products that have been evaluated using a computer-based tool according to embodiments of the present disclosure, and a second process of use has been evaluated compared to a first process of use of the first set of incontinence products. Systems and methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure enable the generation of user interface data, such as graphical user interface data and representations, that show the benefits to a wearer and a care system of using the second set of incontinence products relative to using the first set of incontinence products. Unless otherwise specified, "use" in connection with a set of incontinence products may be attributed to one or both of the act of wearing one or more incontinence products by a wearer in a care system and procedures performed by the care system in connection with the incontinence products, such as ordering, purchasing, applying, and disposing of the incontinence products to the wearer.

[0054] The second set of incontinence products may be associated with a second process of use that is applied to apply one or more incontinence products of the second set to the wearer. The first and second processes of use may include similar or identical steps such that the respective data obtained for these processes are comparable, thereby enabling a comparison between the first and second processes. Systems and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for automatically generating values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between a first process of use of a first set of incontinence products worn by a wearer and a second process of use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer, as discussed in more detail below.

[0055] In some embodiments, the first assessment time series data 118 is time series data acquired in association with a (first) process of use of one or more incontinence products of a first set worn by a wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system. The second assessment time series data 120 may be time series data acquired in association with a (second) process of use of one or more incontinence products of a second set worn by a wearer. In some examples herein, the second assessment time series data 120 is referred to as assessment time series data.

[0056] The computing device 102 may obtain information from the data storage device 106 shown in FIG. 1 . While the data storage device 106, such as a memory device, is shown as a separate device, in some cases it may be part of the computing device 102. In some cases, the data storage device 106 may be part of the assessment server 104. The data storage device 106 may be a distributed memory device. Regardless of its particular implementation, the data storage device 106 may store profile records 124, a profile group table 134, care system settings 135, and assessment settings 139. Each profile record in the profile records 124 is stored in the data storage device 106 and may include wearer profile records created for multiple wearers, for example, wearers from a care system.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1 , which illustrates two example wearer profile records 126 a, 126 b, each profile record, such as the first profile record 126 a discussed herein as an example of a profile record, includes multiple fields that store an identifier 128 of the wearer for whom the profile was created (e.g., ID1), a profile group 130 from multiple profile groups to which the wearer is assigned, and metadata 132 associated with the wearer. Each of the identifier 128, profile group 130, and metadata 132 may be stored in a different respective field of the profile record 126 a. Furthermore, some of the fields, e.g., fields storing metadata, may encompass two or more fields. The respective fields of a second profile record 126 b, which includes another wearer's identifier ID2, may be similar and are not labeled in FIG. 1 .

[0058] In some cases, the identifier 128 of the wearer of the incontinence product, such as ID1 shown in FIG. 1, may be a unique, de-personalized identifier that identifies the respective (first) profile record 126a and does not include any features that enable identification of the wearer. In some cases, the identifier may be a unique, personalized identifier that may be deleted when the data in the profile record 126a is retrieved from the data storage device 106 and used for analysis. The profile group 130 stored in the first record 126a indicates a profile group from multiple profile groups to which the wearer has been assigned. The wearer may be assigned to a profile group from multiple profile groups based on at least the wearer's bowel movement patterns, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive abilities. For example, in some embodiments, six profile groups, also referred to as care groups, are defined for wearers with different abilities for using incontinence products.

[0059] In some embodiments, a particular graphical user interface may be used to obtain user input data regarding the wearer's toileting patterns, the wearer's mobility, the wearer's cognitive abilities, and other characteristics of the wearer. The graphical user interface may be presented by a profile group assessment tool that may be installed and executed on the computing device 102 or on another computing device. In some examples, the profile group assessment tool is part of the assessment tool 112. In some examples, the profile group assessment tool may be separate from the assessment tool 112 and may execute independently of the assessment tool 112.

[0060] The metadata in the wearer profile record, e.g., metadata 132 in the profile record 126a created to store data related to each wearer, includes the wearer's name, address, current condition, medical history, and other attributes or characteristics. The metadata 132 may also include information about the wearer's location, e.g., the care system, the ward within the care system, the room within the ward, etc. Information about caregivers who have cared for or are caring for the wearer may also be included in the metadata 132. The information about the care system may include, for example, a care system identifier that may be used to link this information in the metadata 132 to a care system setting in the care system setting 135 identified by a care system identifier 137.

[0061] Additionally, metadata 132 may also include information about incontinence products previously worn and / or currently worn by the wearer. The incontinence products may belong to one or more sets of incontinence products. Information about these incontinence products may be defined in product data storage 147.

[0062] The profile records 124 in the data storage device 106 may be linked to a profile group table 134, which stores a profile group record for each of a plurality of profile groups, via a profile group field, e.g., a field storing the profile group 130 of the profile 126a. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 , which illustrates one profile group record 136 for a profile group 138, the profile group record 136 stores, for a step from a plurality of steps in a process of using an incontinence product, an estimated duration required to perform that step. The profile group table 134 indicates the effort required to perform different tasks for each profile group. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the profile group record 136 stores an indication 140 of a process of using a set of incontinence products and an indication 142 of the estimated duration required to perform each of the plurality of steps in the process of use indicated by the indication 140, labeled "Step Timing" in FIG. 1 . For each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, a task or step from a plurality of steps is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. Thus, the profile group records 136 of a profile group 138 store three or more dimensional data for each process of use and for each step of that process, including the estimated duration required to perform that step. Thus, for a particular care or profile group, task times for particular tasks, such as changing incontinence products, changing clothes, changing linens, etc. The information stored in each profile group record 136 of each profile group 138 may be the same for different care systems.In some examples, the information stored in each profile group record 136 for each profile group 138 may vary between different care systems, for example, depending on the details of task completion in the care system, the type and amount of equipment used in the care home where the equipment is intended to facilitate different types of work steps, and / or based on other factors.

[0063] Access to the information stored in the profile group records 136 may be restricted in some instances. For example, only personnel with certain access permissions may be able to access the information stored in the profile group records 136. In some instances, the information stored in the profile group records 136 may be provided by a manufacturer of an incontinence product. In a care system, personnel with certain access permissions may be able to modify the information in the profile group records 136.

[0064] The evaluation server 104 includes a processing circuit or processor device 144 and a memory 146 operably coupled to the processing circuit 144, the memory 146 storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit 144, perform methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some cases, the evaluation server 104 includes an assessment time-series data analysis server 148 configured to generate or determine values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a process of use of a set of incontinence products. The assessment time-series data analysis server 148 may be configured to derive values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters, which may be in the form of, for example, a comparison between a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by a wearer, also referred to herein as a first plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a first process of use of the first set of incontinence products, and a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a process of use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer, also referred to herein as a second plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a second process of use of the second set of incontinence products. The values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may represent a ratio between the first plurality of evaluation parameters and the second plurality of evaluation parameters.

[0065] In some examples, to determine values ​​for the evaluation parameters, the assessment time series data analysis server 148 may use product data about the incontinence product and contextual data, such as care system settings, associated with the care system. The product data, which may be stored in product data storage 147, may define product characteristics, the process for manufacturing the product, the process for disposing of the product after it has been worn, etc. Non-limiting examples of product data about incontinence products include the CO2 footprint of producing the product, the weight of material disposed of after use of the product, i.e., the amount of non-renewable material in the product if the product is disposable, and other types of data. The product data may have numerical and / or other types of values.

[0066] The product data stored in product data storage 147 may be provided by the incontinence product manufacturer, and in some cases, the information in product data storage 147 may be updatable. Thus, when assessment time series data analysis server 148 receives an indication regarding which set of incontinence products is being used along with the assessment time series data, assessment time series data analysis server 148 may access data storage 147, which stores product data related to the set of incontinence products. In some cases, different product data may be associated with one or more incontinence products of a given set—for example, daytime and nighttime products of the same set may have different values ​​for the CO2 footprint due to producing the products, and / or values ​​for other types of product data may differ between incontinence products of the same set. Product data storage 147, shown in FIG. 1 as part of assessment server 104, may be located, for example, in memory 146 of assessment server 104 or in a separate memory device, and may be an updatable table or other data structure. For example, if a product's manufacturing process is changed to reduce its CO2 footprint, for example if production switches from a less sustainable energy source to, for example, wind or solar power, the information in the data storage may be updated. Product data storage 147 is shown in FIG. 1 as part of evaluation server 104 but may be located in data storage device 106. The information in product data storage 147 may be accessible through assessment tool 112.

[0067] The care system settings 135, such as context data for a particular care system, may include one or more of the following: staff working hours associated with the process of using a set of incontinence products; laundry costs; the CO2 impact of laundry; waste disposal costs; and the CO2 impact of waste disposal, such as transport to a landfill or incineration. As shown in FIG. 1 , the care system settings 135 may include a care system identifier (CSID) 137 that identifies the care system for which data related to the care system settings is stored as the care system settings 135. The care system settings 135 may store settings for one or more care systems. For example, for each care system identified by the care system identifier 137, information about smaller parts of the care system may also be stored, such as information about wards in the care system, rooms in the wards, etc. Since a care system may have any structure, relevant types of data may be stored for each care system. It should be noted that in some cases, the care system may belong to one or more or a group of care systems that are related to each other, for example managed by a particular entity such as a private or public entity, etc. In such cases, the care system identifier 137 may additionally indicate which of the one or more care systems the wearer is associated with.

[0068] In FIG. 1 , the care system settings 135 are shown stored in data storage 106. However, the care system settings 135 may be stored, at least in part, on the computing device 102 or another computing device accessible to the care system. The data or information in the care system settings 135 may be updatable by the care system—for example, the care system may update, for example, the cost of staff labor hours and / or the cost of laundry when a contract with a staff / laundry supplier is renewed. These values ​​may be determined by each care system and may be relatively easy to obtain. In some examples, the information in the care system settings 135 may be accessible and updatable through a care system settings UI.

[0069] In some examples, the care system configuration 135 may include, at least in part, a profile group table 134 that stores profile group records 136 for profile groups 138 .

[0070] For example, some of the data included in the care system configuration 135, such as the CO2 impact of laundry or waste disposal, may not be easy to determine. Therefore, relevant values ​​may be estimated at different geographical or other types of scales. For example, the CO2 impact of laundry may be estimated broadly, such as "within Europe," "within a particular country in Europe," or "within a particular city in Europe." Therefore, at least some of the data in the care system configuration 135 may depend on the geographic location of the care system. Thus, the assessment time series data analysis server 148 may retrieve different data in the care system configuration 135 depending on the location of the care system, such as by region, country, city, etc. The relevant values ​​are updated as more relevant information becomes available.

[0071] Thus, in the examples herein, product data and care system configuration data may be acquired and updated separately. Furthermore, the system according to the examples herein allows for relevant comparisons to be made that are customized for the relevant market or geographic area. For example, what may be considered a better sustainability choice for one market or one care system may not be a better choice for another market or care system.

[0072] In some examples, the assessment time-series data analysis server 148 may use suitable computational techniques, e.g., artificial intelligence techniques, to determine values ​​for the assessment parameters. In some embodiments, the assessment time-series data analysis server 148 may implement a machine learning model including a logistic regression classifier. In some embodiments, the machine learning or deep learning model may be one or more of a decision tree, an ensemble such as bagging, boosting, or random forest, a gradient boosting machine, linear regression, naive Bayes, or a neural network.

[0073] In some embodiments, the assessment time series data analysis server 148 may be configured to perform a variety of tasks, including supervised learning, e.g., using logistic regression, using backpropagation neural networks, random forests, decision trees, etc.; unsupervised learning, e.g., using the Apriori algorithm, using K-means clustering; semi-supervised learning; deep learning algorithms, e.g., neural networks, convolutional neural network methods, recurrent neural network methods, e.g., using the Q-learning algorithm, reinforcement learning using temporal difference learning; regression algorithms, e.g., ordinary least squares, logistic regression, stepwise regression, multivariate adaptive regression splines, locally estimated scatterplot smoothing, etc.; instance-based methods, e.g., k-nearest neighbors, learning vector quantization, self-organizing maps, etc.; regularization methods, e.g., ridge regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, elastic net, etc.; decision tree learning methods, e.g., classification and regression trees, chi-squared automatic interaction detection, etc. detection, decision strains, random forests, multivariate adaptive regression splines, gradient boosting machines, etc.; Bayesian methods such as naive Bayes, averaged one-dependence estimators, Bayesian belief networks, etc.; kernel methods such as support vector machines, radial basis functions, linear discriminant analysis, etc.; clustering methods such as k-means clustering, expectation maximization, etc.; ensemble methods such as boosting, bootstrap aggregation, AdaBoost, stacked generalization, gradient boosting machines, random forests, etc.; and / or any suitable artificial intelligence techniques may be used.

[0074] The computing device 102 receives, for example, from the assessment tool 112, assessment time series data 116 including assessment values ​​of assessment parameters associated with the use of a particular set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. In response to receiving the assessment time series data, the computing device 102 sends the assessment time series data to the evaluation server 104 via a network connection, such as a secure network connection. The computing device 102 also obtains, from the data storage device 106, a wearer profile record stored in the data storage device 106, and sends the wearer profile record to the evaluation server 104. For example, the assessment time series data analysis server 148 of the evaluation server 104 may receive the assessment time series data and the wearer profile record. It should be noted that in some cases, metadata from the wearer profile record may not be sent to the assessment server 104, or only a portion of the data in the metadata from the wearer profile record may be sent to the evaluation server 104.

[0075] The assessment time series data 116 may include first assessment time series data 118 and second assessment time series data 120, which may be sent to the assessment server 104 simultaneously or at different times. In some implementations, the first assessment time series data 118 is sent to the assessment server 104 before the second assessment time series data 120. For example, the first assessment time series data 118 may be sent to the assessment server 104 as a result of a computerized evaluation of a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second assessment time series data 120 may be sent to the assessment server 104 as a result of a computerized evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products. Once received by the assessment server 104, the first assessment time series data 118 and the second assessment time series data 120 may be stored in the assessment server 104. In some embodiments, the first assessment time series data 118 may be stored on the assessment server 104, and when the second assessment time series data 120 is received by the assessment server 104, the server 104 analyzes both the first assessment time series data 118 and the second assessment time series data 120, as discussed in more detail below.

[0076] In some examples, the computing device 102 may further acquire, from the data storage device 106, information regarding the care system settings from the care system settings 135 stored in the data storage device 106. The care system settings may be acquired for a specific care system, for example, as identified by a care system identifier 137 in the care system settings 135. The computing device 102 sends the acquired care system settings to the assessment server 104. Furthermore, in some examples, the care system settings may be acquired from the data storage device 106 by the assessment server 104. For example, in some implementations, the care system identifier may be provided to the assessment server 104 by the computing device 102, for example, as part of metadata from a wearer profile record, and the assessment server 104 may acquire the required information from the care system settings 135 based on the care system identifier, shown in FIG. 1 as the care system identifier 137.

[0077] The evaluation server 104 and / or its components, such as the evaluation time series data analysis server 148, analyze the evaluation time series data and the data in the wearer profile record, as well as other relevant data, to determine values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters related to a computer-generated evaluation of the process of use of a particular set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. As used herein, "worn by the wearer" means worn during a specific period, such as an evaluation period. Also, a set of incontinence products is considered to be worn when one or more types of incontinence products belonging to the set are worn by the wearer during the evaluation period. The act of wearing refers to individual incontinence products worn by the wearer during a specific period within the evaluation period. As a non-limiting example, a wearer may wear three daytime products from the set and two nighttime products from the set per 24-hour period, and the evaluation period may include several days.

[0078] The assessment server 104 may send values ​​of the multiple assessment parameters to the computing device 102, which, in response to receiving the values ​​of the multiple assessment parameters, may render a UI 122, also referred to herein as a filter-based user interface (UI), including user-selectable filter fields for selecting one or more profile groups from the multiple profile groups and / or selecting one or more care systems from the one or more care systems. The filter-based UI 122, e.g., the assessment results UI discussed in more detail below, is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the multiple assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and / or one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields. The filter-based UI 122 may be rendered by the assessment tool 112 on the same computing device as the assessment UI 114 or on a different computing device.

[0079] It should be understood that the computing device 102, the data storage device 106, and the assessment server 104 of the system 100 of Figure 1 may include various other components implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof not shown in Figure 1. For example, the computing device 102, the assessment server 104, and the computing device through which the data storage device 106 is accessed, which may be one or both of the computing device 102 and the assessment server, may each include a communications interface including a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, and / or one or more antennas. Furthermore, one or more of the computing devices on which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented may be, for example, a terminal, a wireless communications terminal, an Internet of Things (NB-IoT) device, a device-to-device (D2D) terminal, or a node such as, for example, a smartphone, a laptop, a mobile phone, or a mobile tablet.

[0080] 2A and 2B illustrate exemplary embodiments of computer-implemented methods or processes 200, 200a that involve executing at least one processor, such as the processing circuitry of computing device 102, to perform the steps or actions of the process. Note that unless otherwise indicated, the actions in the blocks of FIGS. 2A and 2B can be performed in any suitable order, which may differ from the order shown. Optional actions are indicated using dashed lines.

[0081] The process 200 of FIG. 2A may be performed, for example, by a computer system having the configuration shown with respect to the system 100 of FIG. 1 . Thus, for example, the processing circuit 110 of the computing device 102 of the care system may perform the process 200. For example, the process 200 may begin when an application or platform executed by the processing circuit 110, such as the assessment tool 112, is started. The process 200 may be performed for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system, which may belong to one or more care systems. The plurality of wearers may not necessarily include every person associated with a care system who wears incontinence products; a group of wearers may be selected to assess the process of use of one or more incontinence products. Note that the first set and the second set may be different for different wearers, such that changes for the two different sets may be assessed for each wearer individually. In other words, a different pair of the first set and the second set may be assessed for each wearer. In certain instances, the same pair of first and second sets may be assessed for some wearers.

[0082] In block 202, process 200 includes receiving, for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in one or more care systems, via a computing device during an assessment period, assessment time series data relating to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products including a plurality of second steps, and for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of second steps is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. As noted above, the second set of incontinence products is defined herein as one or more incontinence products associated with the second process of use of the second set that are different from the first set of one or more incontinence products associated with the first process of use of the first set. As used herein, a second set is considered different from a first set when at least one of the incontinence products in the second set is different from at least one of the incontinence products in the first set, and / or when at least one step in the second process of use of the second set is different from at least one step in the first process of use of the first set. In other words, there is a difference between the incontinence products of the first set and the second set, and / or there is a difference between the first process of use and the second process of use. In some cases, the second set of incontinence products includes at least one incontinence product of a type that has not yet been worn by a particular wearer, and therefore, this product may be considered new to the wearer.

[0083] Furthermore, as described above, during the assessment period, the process of using different sets of incontinence products may be analyzed. In some examples, the second set of one or more incontinence products and the first set of one or more incontinence products differ among at least some wearers from a plurality of wearers. For example, for a particular wearer, first assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set A, and second assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set B; for another wearer, first assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set C, and second assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set D; for another wearer, first assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set A, and second assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set C; and for yet another wearer, first assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set B, and second assessment time series data may be obtained for the process of using set A. Thus, the effect of changing from one set of incontinence products to another set may be assessed for multiple wearers within a care system. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure allow for the effect of individualized changes in incontinence products worn by different wearers within a care system to be evaluated in an efficient and robust manner on the operation and cost efficiency of the entire care system.

[0084] The assessment time series data, also referred to herein as second assessment time series data, includes assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer during the assessment period. The second set of incontinence products may include one type, and typically two or more types, of incontinence products, and the (second) assessment time series data is obtained when products from the set are worn by the wearer and during product wear events—for example, going to the toilet, laundry change events, skin treatment application events, etc. The second process of use of the second set of incontinence products includes multiple second steps. As used herein, the second process of use of the second set of incontinence products may be defined as a process throughout the assessment period, and the second process of use may include steps other than those directly related to the wearer's act of wearing incontinence products from the second set. For example, the second process of use may include a skin assessment, an incontinence product change, a toilet visit, a cleansing and protecting event, a clothing change event, a linen change event, application of a daytime incontinence product from the second set, application of a nighttime incontinence product from the second set, and other steps. For each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of second steps of the second process of use of the second set of incontinence products is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step. The assessment time series data may include assessment values ​​of assessment parameters, some of which may correspond to steps of the second process. For example, the assessment values ​​may include the number of occurrences of a skin assessment, the number of occurrences of an incontinence product change, the number of toilet visits which may be the number of successful toilet visits, the number of occurrences of a cleansing and protecting event, the number of occurrences of a clothing change event, the number of occurrences of a linen change event, the number of occurrences of application of a daytime incontinence product from the second set, and the number of occurrences of application of a nighttime incontinence product from the second set.The assessment time series data may also include values, e.g., the number of occurrences of the assessment parameters, such as clothes washing, linen washing, leakage, etc. As used herein, the term "leakage" means leakage from the incontinence product to outside the incontinence product, i.e., the unwanted leakage of urine or faeces that is not adequately contained by the incontinence product.

[0085] As discussed above, the assessment time series data may be obtained via a graphical user interface of an assessment tool executing on a computing device, such as the assessment UI 114 of the assessment tool 112 of FIG. 1 . Examples of the assessment UI 114 are shown in FIGS. 6B, 6C, and 6D . FIG. 6A illustrates how the assessment UI 114 and other UIs may be accessed. In FIG. 6B , the assessment UI 114 includes a wearer ID field 602 that includes an interactive field 613 configured to receive input identifying the wearer. The wearer ID field 602 may be configured to receive data that is the same as an identifier stored in the wearer's profile record, e.g., the profile record storage 124 in the data storage device 106 of FIG. 1 . The wearer's profile record may be created before or after the assessment time series data is obtained in connection with use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. In some cases, the wearer ID field 602 of the assessment UI 114 is configured to receive wearer identification data that is different from the identifier used to identify the stored profile record associated with data about the wearer.

[0086] 6B, the assessment UI 114 includes a date field 604, a time field 606, and a user ID field 608, each including a respective interactive field configured to receive respective data. In some implementations, some or all of these fields may be filled in automatically.

[0087] The user ID field 608 is configured to receive data identifying a user of the assessment tool 112, such as a caregiver or caregiver, or anyone applying an incontinence product to a wearer. In some implementations, the date field 604 and the time field 606 may not be present, as the time and date may be automatically recorded by a processor executing the assessment UI 114. For example, the date field 604 and the time field 606 may be automatically selected based on the process of incontinence product use and / or based on predefined points in the assessment period. Additionally, an interactive field for at least the time field 606 may be present and automatically filled in, which may be adjustable by a user, such as a caregiver or caregiver. For example, if an unscheduled product check is performed, i.e., not part of a predefined routine, the date / time of such event may be manually recorded.

[0088] The assessment UI 114 may further include an assessment parameter field or panel 610 including fields for receiving assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. In the example of FIG. 6B , fields for a first parameter P1 612, a second parameter P2 614, and an nth parameter Pn 616 are shown included in the assessment UI 114. The interactive field 613 for the first parameter P1 612 is labeled. Note that three parameter fields are shown only as an example, as values ​​for any number of assessment parameters may be obtained via the assessment UI 114. The values ​​may be of a suitable type depending on the parameter. For example, the values ​​may be text, numeric, two-valued (e.g., binary), multi-valued, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 6B , the assessment UI 114 may also include a stage field 605 including a feature 607, such as a pull-down menu or another digital object, that can receive an indication of a selection between stages of assessment time series data acquisition—a base or baseline measurement of the assessment time series data and an effect measurement of the assessment time series data. As used herein, a baseline measurement is defined as the acquisition of assessment time series data regarding the process of use of a particular set of one or more incontinence products, which for comparison purposes is considered the baseline set to which the comparison should be made. Furthermore, as used herein, an effect measurement is defined as the acquisition of assessment time series data regarding the process of use of another set of one or more incontinence products that is compared to the baseline set. Thus, the effect of changing from a base or baseline set of incontinence products, referred to herein as a first set of incontinence products, to another set of incontinence products, referred to herein as a second set of incontinence products, is determined by a computer, which may be made, for example, before a decision is made to switch to another second set of incontinence products. The decision may be made automatically.

[0090] For example, during use, effectiveness measurements may be obtained for a new (e.g., newly developed or new to the wearer, i.e., not previously worn by the wearer, new to the care system, or otherwise defined) set of incontinence products that differ from the first set of incontinence products. For a particular wearer, the first set may include incontinence products previously worn by the wearer. Note that the second set may also include incontinence products previously worn by the wearer, although assessment time series data may not have been obtained for the process of use of such products. Furthermore, as discussed above, in some cases, the second set of incontinence products may differ from the first set of incontinence products in the sense that at least one step in the second process of use of the second set differs from at least one step in the first process of use of the first set. In such cases, both the second set and the first set may include the same type or types of incontinence products; only their respective processes of use differ. However, for purposes of this disclosure, such sets will still be referred to as the second set and the first set.

[0091] Thus, comparisons between sets containing any type of incontinence product may be performed, with one set being considered a baseline set and another set being compared to the baseline set. The incontinence products of the sets being compared may be comparable products, for example, such that their process of use may be the same or similar, and therefore the same or similar assessment time series data may be obtained as part of the comparison of the product sets.

[0092] In examples herein, the baseline incontinence product set may be a first set of incontinence products, and the baseline measurement may include first assessment time series data regarding a first process of use of the first set of incontinence products worn by wearers from a plurality of wearers in a care system from one or more care systems. The incontinence product set compared to the baseline incontinence product set may be a second set of incontinence products, and the effectiveness measurement may include second assessment time series data regarding a second process of use of the second set of incontinence products worn by wearers.

[0093] The assessment parameters acquired over the assessment period may be selected to simplify the process of acquiring the values ​​of each of those assessment parameters at the time of the assessment period. Thus, in some embodiments, the assessment parameters may be selected so that the values ​​of those assessment parameters may all be binary, and thus the input indicating the value of the assessment parameter may be a simple check in a checkbox or field, an input of a value of "yes" or "no," or another selection between two options. In this way, the assessment tool is configured to receive the values ​​of the assessment parameters in a simplified format, which advantageously also facilitates the process of data entry by a user of the assessment tool in the care system. Caregivers assigned the task of caring for wearers requiring incontinence products may already be overwhelmed by their daily tasks, and providing a tool according to aspects of the present disclosure that allows those caregivers to continue their work without significant interruption may significantly improve the process of adoption of new incontinence products by the care system.

[0094] Non-limiting examples of assessment parameters include one or more of a skin assessment, a change of the second set of incontinence products, feces in the second set of incontinence products, a toileting event such as a successful toilet visit, a cleansing and protection event, a urinary leakage event, a clothing change event, a linen change event, application of the second set of daytime incontinence products, or application of the second set of nighttime incontinence products. Clothing change events and linen change events are events that may be triggered by a leakage event. Any other assessment parameters may additionally or alternatively be used. The assessment tool may receive user input indicating values ​​of one or more of the assessment parameters at a time during the assessment period. For example, a user input may be received indicating whether a clothing change event occurred at a particular time during the assessment period based on observation by a caregiver. At least some of the assessment parameters may correspond to a step from a plurality of second steps of a second process of using the second set of incontinence products. The second process is performed, for example, by a caregiver assisting the wearer with the second set of incontinence products and other tasks related to wearing the incontinence products. Each step of the plurality of second steps may be associated with an estimated duration required to perform that step. Thus, for example, for a clothing change event, the time required for the clothing change is obtained from a corresponding profile group record in a profile group table, such as the profile group table 134 shown in FIG.

[0095] It should be noted that the time required for a particular step or task is an estimated time that may vary depending on the profile group to which a particular wearer is assigned. The estimated time value may be adjustable, for example, by the manufacturer(s) of the relevant incontinence product(s) and / or by the care system, e.g., by a particular person within the care system.

[0096] Furthermore, some of the assessment parameters, such as the occurrence of urinary leakage, the occurrence of fecal leakage, or the occurrence of leakage (of any type), may not directly correspond to steps in the second process because they are based on observations by the caregiver rather than being steps or tasks performed by the caregiver. At the same time, the occurrence of leakage is typically determined as a result of the performance of a task, such as, for example, a check product with a product change, a check product without a product change, a check product with a linen change, a check product without a linen change, or a check incontinence product, which may be the occurrence of another type of event or observation.

[0097] The second set of one or more incontinence products may include overnight products configured to be worn at night and day products configured to be worn during the day. Both the day products and the overnight products may be referred to as the second set of incontinence products because they have similar characteristics and either or both of them may differ in at least some characteristics from the incontinence products of the first set.

[0098] The assessment time series data may be obtained in connection with use of a second set of daytime or nighttime incontinence products, or a second set of incontinence products of another type, e.g., products not specifically designed to be worn during a particular time, and values ​​for one or two respective assessment parameters may be obtained, for example, via assessment UI 114 of Figure 1. Assessment UI 114 may be configured to indicate the particular products included in the second set or any other set being assessed.

[0099] The assessment UI 114 may include other fields or other digital objects not shown in FIG. 6B . FIGS. 6C and 6D show additional examples of the assessment UI 114. FIG. 6A illustrates that different UIs may be accessed via the assessment tool 112. The example of FIG. 6A shows user-selectable features, such as selectable icons, to provide access to the respective UIs. Thus, the assessment tool 112 includes, for example, an assessment UI icon 620 selectable to provide access to an assessment UI, such as the assessment UI 114, a care system settings UI icon 630 selectable to provide access to a care system settings UI, an assessment settings UI icon 640 selectable to provide access to an assessment settings UI, and an assessment results UI icon 650 selectable to provide access to an assessment results UI. In some implementations, instead of separate assessment settings and care system settings UIs, a single UI, such as a care system settings UI, may be provided.

[0100] Access to different UIs that may be accessed via the assessment tool 112 may be restricted to particular persons or entities. For example, the assessment UI may be accessible to caregivers, while the care system settings UI, assessment settings UI, and assessment results UI may be accessible to administrative staff. In some cases, different levels of access to information presented on and modifiable via these UIs may be provided, for example, so that different persons or groups of persons associated with the care system may be able to access the care system settings UI, assessment settings UI, and assessment results UI.

[0101] FIG. 6C shows an example of a UI, such as assessment UI 114 for a new assessment, which may include selecting or adding a wearer, shown as “New Assessment: Select or Add Resident.” The assessment UI 114 of FIG. 6C includes user-selectable panels “Wearer ID,” “Room,” “Ward,” “Care System,” and “Name,” with the particular order of the panels shown by way of example only. The entries in these panels are also shown in FIG. 6C by way of example only. Data for three wearers is shown by way of example. FIG. 6C also shows that a wearer with wearer ID “XYZ” has been selected so that an assessment process for the use of a particular set of one or more incontinence products associated with the selected wearer may proceed. For example, in response to receiving user input indicating the selection of a particular wearer by the wearer's ID, another UI or panel may be overlaid on the UI shown in FIG. 6C . Data regarding the wearer may be added using the shown UI so that the wearer's assessment may proceed.

[0102] FIG. 6D shows an example that is a continuation of the example of FIG. 6C. In FIG. 6D, after wearer ID “XYZ” is selected through assessment UI 114 as shown in FIG. 6C, information regarding a particular set of incontinence products, such as assessment values ​​of assessment parameters, may be received for the wearer identified by wearer ID “XYZ.” In this example, the assessment parameters include product type for each of the daytime and nighttime products, product replacement events for each of the daytime and nighttime products, leakage events for each of the daytime and nighttime products, successful daytime and nighttime toilet visits, checks without product replacement, and checks with product replacement. Values ​​of the assessment parameters may be received via corresponding fields, such as product type field 622, product replacement event field 624, etc. The assessment UI 114 of FIG. 6D may also include a date field 604 and a time field 606 similar to those fields shown in FIG. 6B. Further shown in Figure 6D is a submit button 626 that may be activated, for example, by user input, to submit information received via the assessment UI 114. The submitted information may be sent to a server, such as, for example, the assessment server 104 shown in Figure 1.

[0103] Additionally, FIG. 6E illustrates an example of an assessment setting UI 642 that may be accessed via the assessment tool 112, e.g., the assessment setting UI icon 640 shown in FIG. 6A. The assessment setting UI 642 may receive user input regarding the value of specific values ​​for each user group. As shown, non-limiting examples of assessment settings include labor costs for each of daytime and nighttime type products, the cost of washing clothes, the cost of washing bed linen, the time spent changing each of daytime and nighttime type products, the time spent changing clothes due to leaks for each of daytime and nighttime type products, the time spent checking without changing products, and the time spent checking bed linen. A submit button 628 is shown in FIG. 6E that may be activated, for example, by user input, to submit information received via the assessment setting UI 642. The submitted information may be sent to a server, such as the assessment server 104 shown in FIG. 1.

[0104] Data including parameter values ​​may be acquired by the Assessment UI 114 from the user or from another person who has access to the Assessment UI 114 during the time the assessment time-series data is acquired. The Assessment UI 114 may be presented on a touchscreen display. In some implementations, the Assessment UI 114 can be a voice user interface (VUI) configured to receive voice and / or speech commands. In some examples, the Assessment UI 114 may be configured to receive any type of user input, including a combination of textual, visual, and graphical input. Additionally, the Assessment UI 114 may be configured to issue audio instructions to the user regarding the assessment process as the assessment time-series data is acquired. Thus, the Assessment UI 114 may guide a user who may be engaged in manually handling incontinence products (e.g., changing incontinence products) and assisting a wearer through a touchless or hands-free process of entering data related to the process of use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer.

[0105] It should be noted that the features shown in Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 7A, 7B, 8, and 9 are merely examples, as additional features may be displayed and / or some features may be omitted. Also, the specific locations of various graphical features, elements, fields, buttons, and other features that may be interactive are shown by way of example for purposes of explanation and not to limit the aspects of the present disclosure.

[0106] Referring again to FIG. 2A , the assessment time series data may be acquired for a specific period, such as an assessment period, which may depend on other factors, including details of the second set of incontinence products, the number of wearers in the care system, details of the care system, the type of desired outcome, and a combination of various factors. For example, the assessment time series data may be acquired during an assessment period of, for example, 5 to 7 days, or 5 to 10 days, or 2 to 5 days, or 3 to 7 days, etc. The assessment period may have any other duration. Furthermore, the assessment time series data may be acquired for each wearer from multiple wearers in the care system. The number of multiple wearers from which assessment time series data may be acquired may be less than the total number of wearers associated with the care system. For example, the assessment time series data may be acquired for a selected group of wearers.

[0107] Thus, as shown in FIG. 2A , in decision block 203, it may be determined whether an indication of acquisition of the required assessment time series data is generated, where the indication indicates that a sufficient amount of assessment time series data has been received and / or that a specific period has expired. A sufficient amount of assessment time series data may mean that assessment time series data has been acquired for all wearers from multiple wearers in the care system and that the assessment period has expired. The assessment time series data may be acquired as multiple data points at respective time points during the assessment period, and in some cases, the user may be prompted to input more data if certain data is deemed missing. For example, additional time points may be added for data collection from the user. The duration for which the assessment time series data is acquired may be an adjustable parameter that may be set, for example, based on user input acquired in connection with setting options presented by the assessment tool.

[0108] The indication may be received from the assessment server or may be generated by the computing device, e.g., an assessment tool installed on the computing device. The indication may be rendered on the computing device or on a display associated with the computing device, e.g., on the assessment UI 114. The indication may be textual, audio, gesture-based, tactile, or any other format and may indicate that the process of acquiring assessment time-series data should be completed. The indication may be explicit. Additionally or alternatively, in some cases, the indication may be indirect, such as disabling the user interface through which the assessment time-series data is acquired and displaying a message informing the user accordingly.

[0109] In response to a determination at block 203 that an indication of acquisition of required assessment time series data is generated, process 200 may continue to block 204. If a determination is made at block 203 that an indication of acquisition of required assessment time series data is not generated, e.g., the required number of data points in the assessment time series data have not yet been acquired, process 200 returns to block 202 to acquire additional assessment time series data.

[0110] As data points in the assessment time series data are acquired at their respective time points, the assessment time series data may be stored in a memory of a computing device, for example, memory 108 of FIG.

[0111] In block 204, the processing circuitry retrieves, from the data storage device, a wearer profile record stored on the data storage device, the wearer profile record created for a wearer from the plurality of wearers, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from the plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer. For example, the wearer profile record stored in the data storage device 106, e.g., profile record storage 124, may be retrieved by the computing device 102, such as by the processing circuitry 110. In some examples, the computing device 102 may store the wearer profile record in memory 108. As shown in FIG. 1 , the wearer profile record 126a includes the profile group 130 and the metadata 132. A wearer profile record is retrieved for each wearer from the plurality of wearers for whom assessment time-series data is obtained.

[0112] In block 206, the processing circuitry sends the wearer profile record to an assessment server, such as assessment server 104 of FIG. 1 . The processing circuitry sends the wearer profile record for each wearer among the plurality of wearers to the assessment server. Note that the wearer profile record for the wearer may be obtained from a data storage device prior to receiving the assessment time series data in block 202. The received wearer profile record may be sent to the assessment server prior to receiving the assessment time series data. In an embodiment, the wearer profile record may be obtained from a data storage device in connection with receiving the assessment time series data. In other words, in certain examples, the processing in both or one of blocks 204 and 206 may be performed before the processing in blocks 202 and 203.

[0113] In some examples, all wearer profile records for multiple wearers may be sent to the assessment server at the same time. In some examples, wearer profile records for different wearers may be sent to the assessment server at different times depending on the assessment setup according to examples of the present disclosure.

[0114] In certain examples, the wearer profile may be identified in the data storage device using a wearer identifier unique to the wearer, and the wearer profile record may be de-identified by separating the wearer identifier from the wearer profile record before sending the wearer profile record to the assessment server. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , discussed below, the wearer profile record obtained by the computing device 102 from the data storage device 106 may include a personalized identifier, shown as ID1, that is unique to the wearer and identifies the wearer and / or the wearer profile record, and the wearer profile record may be de-identified by stripping off this identifier before sending the wearer profile record to the assessment server 104.

[0115] At block 208, process 200 includes, in response to receiving the assessment time series data for each of the wearers among the plurality of wearers, sending the assessment time series data to the evaluation server, e.g., via a secure network connection. As discussed above, in some embodiments, an indication regarding the acquisition of a required amount of assessment time series data may be received. The computing device 102, e.g., the processing circuit 110, may send the acquired assessment time series data to the evaluation server 104. The assessment time series data analysis server 148 and / or another component of the evaluation server 104 may receive the assessment time series data for each of the wearers among the plurality of wearers and the data in the wearer profile record (the data referred to herein as the wearer profile record) and, based on processing the assessment time series data and the wearer profile record, generate values ​​for a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of incontinence products. The assessment time series data analysis server 148 may also access product data, such as product data 147 of FIG. 1, care system settings, e.g., as stored in care system settings 135 of FIG. 1, and evaluation settings, e.g., as stored in assessment settings 139 of data storage device 106 of FIG. 1 or in another storage device. The assessment time series data analysis server 148 may access further data and, based on processing the received data, generate values ​​for a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of incontinence products.

[0116] In block 210, process 200 includes receiving, from the evaluation server, e.g., via a secure network connection, values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a plurality of wearers, based on the evaluation server's processing of each wearer's assessment time series data and wearer profile records from the plurality of wearers. To determine the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters, the evaluation server integrates the assessment time series data associated with the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products by the plurality of wearers with the assessment time series data acquired for the first process of use of the first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearers. As discussed above, a baseline measurement may be acquired as the assessment time series data acquired for the first process of use of the first set of incontinence products, which may be performed in a similar manner to acquiring the assessment time series data for the second process of use of the second set of incontinence products. Accordingly, the assessment time series data acquired for the second process of use of the second set of incontinence products may be referred to as an effect measurement. In this manner, the evaluation server may determine values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters based on processing both assessment time series data obtained regarding a first process of use of a first set of incontinence products (also referred to herein as first assessment time series data) and assessment time series data obtained regarding a second process of use of a second set of incontinence products (also referred to herein as second assessment time series data).

[0117] Thus, the values ​​of the multiple evaluation parameters determined by the evaluation server indicate the computer-assessed effect of changing from a first set of incontinence products to a second set of incontinence products. The effect of the change may be defined in the form of values ​​of evaluation parameters such as, for example, a change in total absorption per year, month, week, or other period; skin health, defined as, for example, a change in the number of wearers requiring skin care per year, month, week, or other period; care efficiency, defined as, for example, a change in staff or caregiver time per year, month, week, or other period; sustainability, defined as, for example, a change in CO2 usage by a care system per year, month, week, or other period; and a change in total economic value. The above are non-limiting examples of evaluation parameters, and any other number of any other evaluation parameters may be used in addition or instead. The values ​​of the evaluation parameters may be defined for a specific period, or in some cases, independently of the period.

[0118] In examples, the change in total economic value may be defined using one or more of the following: the number of incontinence products needed times the cost of the incontinence products; staff or caregiver time times the change in the caregiver's hourly wage; the amount of laundry needed (e.g., expressed in kilograms or kg) times the change in the cost per kg of laundry; and the number of wearers needing treatment for incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) times the change in the average cost of skin treatment. The number of incontinence products of a particular set, e.g., the second set, needed during the assessment period may be defined as the difference between several incontinence products of the first set needed during the same length of time period. Similarly, changes in caregiver time, amount of laundry washed, and number of wearers needing treatment for IAD may be defined, in embodiments of the present disclosure, as the respective changes to caregiver time, amount of laundry washed, and number of wearers needing treatment for IAD recorded for a baseline set of incontinence products, such as one or more incontinence products of the first set.

[0119] Process 200 may further include initiating an action regarding use of the second set of incontinence products in the care system at block 211. The action is determined based on the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters received from the evaluation server and may be initiated in various ways. In some cases, the action may be initiated in response to a trigger received from the evaluation server. The initiation of the action may be, for example, an indication or recommendation to the care system regarding the second set of incontinence products. The indication and / or recommendation may be presented on a graphical user interface, for example, an evaluation results UI of assessment tool 112, or otherwise displayed on computing device 102 or another computing device. For example, the indication and / or recommendation may be presented on a filter-based UI, such as filter-based UI 122 of FIG. 1, which may be rendered on computing device 102 or a different computing device.

[0120] In some examples, processing by a method or process herein, e.g., process 200 or another process, may result in an automatic determination that switching to a second set of incontinence products may not be beneficial to the care system and / or the wearers in the care system. In such examples, an indication and / or recommendation indicating that switching from the first set to the second set is not recommended may be generated and presented based on a computer-implemented evaluation of the assessment time series data and other related data. The indication and / or recommendation may further indicate an alternative action, e.g., a suggestion to computer-assess the effects of switching to a different, third set of one or more incontinence products. In some cases, the alternative action may include a recommendation to continue using the first set of incontinence products in the care system so that one or more wearers continue to wear the first set of incontinence products.

[0121] Furthermore, in some examples, it may be automatically determined that changes to some of the assessed second set of incontinence products may not be beneficial to the care system and / or the wearers in the care system. As discussed herein, the second set may be different for different wearers, such that, for example, for a particular first wearer, the first set of incontinence products may be set A and the second set of incontinence products may be set B, for another second wearer, the first set of incontinence products may be set C and the second set of incontinence products may be set D, and for another third wearer, the first set of incontinence products may be set A and the second set of incontinence products may be set C. Each of the first, second, and third wearers may be two or more wearers. A process according to embodiments of the present disclosure may reveal, for example, that switching from set A to set B would be beneficial for a first wearer and care system, and that switching from set C to set D would be beneficial for a second wearer and care system, but that switching from set A to set C for a third wearer is not recommended based on an assessment of the effects of this and other changes. The process may generate an indication of how changing from set A to set C for a third wearer would affect the value of one or more evaluation parameters. In this manner, the effects of individualized or personalized changes may be assessed using methods according to examples herein. The values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters may be presented to a user, such as a care system operator or another user, in a manner that allows the user to assess the likely effects of personalized changes to incontinence products for wearers in the care system.

[0122] As an example, an indication may be generated recommending that the care system use a second set of incontinence products. In some embodiments, in response to the indication, process 200 may include automatically sending an order to obtain the second set of incontinence products. Note that, because the second sets may be different for at least some of the wearers in the care system, orders for different second sets of incontinence products may be sent depending on which second sets are evaluated for different wearers. The order may be sent to a product manufacturer's system / computer, a product storage system / computer, etc. In some embodiments, initiating the action may be generating a recommendation to the care system regarding the process of using the second set of incontinence products. For example, in some embodiments, the recommendation includes a recommendation for a modification to at least one step from a plurality of second steps of the second process of using the second set of incontinence products. For example, the recommendation may specify an adjustment to the second process of using the second set of incontinence products that advantageously promotes the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the user in the care system. This may involve reducing the frequency of incontinence product changes, or for some people, increasing the frequency of changes, which may have advantages such as, for example, fewer washings of linen and therefore a smaller CO2 impact and / or less impact on the wearer's skin. This may ultimately lead to reduced costs of operating a care system where the application and handling of incontinence products generally have a significant impact on operational costs. Furthermore, as the impact of changing various incontinence products is assessed, the effect or impact of simultaneously changing from one set of products to another set of products on different wearers can be assessed. In this way, the effect of individualized changes on the entire care system can be assessed in a simplified and robust manner.

[0123] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the recommendations include recommendations for modifications to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

[0124] The process 200 may end when appropriate, for example, when an action related to the use of a second set of incontinence products is initiated.

[0125] 2B shows a method or process 200a that is similar to process 200. Accordingly, the actions of blocks 202, 204, 206, 208, and 210 of process 200a are the same as actions 202, 204, 206, 208, and 210, respectively, of process 200 of FIG. 2A and will not be discussed in detail herein. Process 200a includes executing at least one processor of a computing device, e.g., computing device 102 of FIG. 1, in communication with assessment server 104, to perform the steps or actions of process 200a.

[0126] In block 202, process 200a includes receiving, for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in one or more care systems, via a computing device during an assessment period, assessment time series data related to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products includes a plurality of second steps. For each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of second steps is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step.

[0127] The assessment time series data may be received via an assessment user interface of an assessment tool installed on a computing device. For example, the assessment time series data may be received via the assessment UI 114 of the assessment tool 112 of FIG.

[0128] In some embodiments, the assessment time series data is received as user input from the caregiver, and the method further includes authenticating the caregiver using a computer identification device. The computer identification device may be worn or carried by the caregiver, or may be associated with a device worn by the caregiver. The computer identification device may include one or more of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, a bar code, and a quick response (QR) code tag configured to identify the caregiver. Any other computer identification device may be used. For example, when the computing device through which the assessment tool is accessed employs near field communication (NFC) technology to wirelessly communicate with the computer identification device, the assessment tool may be configured to automatically detect the computer identification device. When the computer identification device is detected and the caregiver is thereby identified, the assessment tool may record the caregiver's identifier. For example, in some implementations, the caregiver's identifier may be automatically entered into the user ID field 608 of the assessment UI 114 of FIG. 1 .

[0129] Further, in some embodiments, the computer identification device may be detected by a proximity detection device associated with the room in which the wearer is located, such that authentication is performed automatically when the caregiver is located in proximity to the room and the proximity detection device detects the computer identification device. In such embodiments, the proximity detection device may communicate wirelessly with a computing device typically carried by the caregiver, and the proximity detection device may be configured to perform identification of the caregiver and provide an identifier of the caregiver to the assessment tool.

[0130] In some embodiments, after the caregiver is identified, the assessment tool may automatically render a graphical user interface, such as an assessment UI, that may present prompts requesting input regarding assessment data points acquired as part of the acquisition of the assessment time series data.

[0131] In block 204, process 200a includes obtaining, from a data storage device, a wearer profile record stored on the data storage device, where a wearer profile record is created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer. A wearer profile record is obtained for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in the care system.

[0132] The wearer may be assigned to a profile group from a plurality of profile groups based on at least the wearer's elimination patterns, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive abilities.

[0133] In some embodiments, the profile groups are defined as shown in Table 1 below, and the incontinence products are referred to as containment products.

[0134] [Table 1]

[0135] Group 1 encompasses non-care dependent individuals, while Groups 2 to 6 represent care dependent populations requiring different levels of toileting and containment care (T&CC) assistance.

[0136] In block 206, process 200a includes sending the wearer profile records to an assessment server. The processing of block 206 includes sending the wearer profile records of all wearers from a plurality of wearers in the care system to the assessment server.

[0137] In block 208, process 200a includes, in response to receiving the assessment time series data for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, sending the assessment time series data to an evaluation server. The assessment time series data may be sent to the evaluation server via a secure network connection.

[0138] At block 210, process 200a includes receiving from the evaluation server values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of the process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by a plurality of wearers based on processing by the evaluation server of each wearer's assessment time series data and wearer profile records from the plurality of wearers.

[0139] 2B , process 200a includes generating a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups of the care system from the one or more care systems at block 212. In some examples, the computer representation may be generated on a filter-based user interface including a user-selectable filter field for selecting one or more profile groups from the plurality of profile groups, the filter-based user interface being configured to present the computer representation of the one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter field.

[0140] In some examples, the filter-based user interface may include a user-selectable filter field for selecting one or more care systems from the one or more care systems, and the filter-based user interface is further configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and the selected one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter field.

[0141] For example, a filter-based user interface or assessment results UI, such as filter-based UI 122 of Figure 1, may be configured to receive input via user-selectable filter fields to enable comparison of the effects of product replacements on different profile groups, care systems, and / or wards or other units of a care system in an intuitive and user-friendly manner. In some embodiments, the filter-based user interface enables comparison between values ​​of multiple assessment parameters generated as part of the assessment of each different incontinence product, as discussed in more detail below.

[0142] When an indication of selection of two or more evaluation parameters is selected, the computer representation generated in response to the indication of selection may include a more complex graphical representation including representations of values ​​of two or more evaluation parameters, for example, two, three, or four or more, which may be values ​​calculated for two or more profile groups. Also, two or more care systems and one or more units, such as wards within the care systems, may be selected. For example, when two or more care systems are selected, a ward filter field, such as ward filter field 708 in FIGS. 7A and 7B, may include a ward filter field for each of the selected care systems. For example, a certain number of ward filter fields may be displayed for one of the selected care systems, and a different number of ward filter fields may be displayed for another of the selected care systems. The number of ward filter fields may depend on the number of wards in each care system.

[0143] The filter-based user interface may be rendered by the assessment tool on the computing device or on a different computing device. For example, the filter-based UI 122 of FIG. 1 may be rendered by the processor or processing circuitry 110 of the computing device 102. The filter-based UI may be rendered by the assessment tool on the computing device or on a different computing device. The filter-based UI 122 may be rendered by the assessment tool 112, and in some implementations, the filter-based UI 122 may be part of the assessment UI 114 or may be rendered by the assessment tool 112 separately from the assessment UI 114. The assessment UI 114 may also include a feature that can receive user input that instructs the assessment tool 112 to switch from the assessment UI 114 to the filter-based UI 122.

[0144] Alternatively, in some implementations, the filter-based UI 122 may be rendered on a different computing device than the computing device that renders the assessment UI 114 .

[0145] In some embodiments, the computer representation shows a comparison of the values ​​of the plurality of parameters with respective values ​​of the plurality of parameters associated with different processes of use of the second set of incontinence products. In this manner, the computer representation may show differences in the form of values ​​of the plurality of parameters between the different processes of use of the second set of incontinence products in a graphical format that is easily perceived by a user interacting with the filter-based UI 122. In such embodiments, the values ​​of the plurality of parameters for the different processes of use of the second set of incontinence products may have been previously generated by the assessment server.

[0146] In some embodiments, the computer representation shows a comparison of values ​​of a plurality of parameters—associated with a second process of use of a second set of incontinence products—with respective values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a first process of use of a first set of incontinence products. Methods according to aspects of the present disclosure, such as those shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , may be performed to assess the effect of changing from any set of incontinence products to any other set of incontinence products, such that changes from and to different sets may be evaluated for different wearers in a care system. Thus, values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters may be determined for incontinence products belonging to any set, and the evaluation server may compare the values ​​with values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a process of use of any other set of incontinence products. Thus, in some embodiments, methods according to aspects of the present disclosure are used to generate respective values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a first set of incontinence products and a second set of incontinence products, the second set of incontinence products being assessed for possible adoption by a care system, for example, to be worn by one or more wearers in place of the incontinence products of the first set.

[0147] FIG. 7A illustrates an example of a filter-based UI, also referred to herein as an assessment results UI, such as filter-based UI 122 of FIG. 1, that may be rendered when multiple assessment parameters related to a computer-generated assessment of a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products are received from the assessment server. The filter-based UI may be customizable. As shown in FIG. 7A, a right-side selection section or panel 702 includes user-selectable filter fields, including a profile group filter field 704 for selecting a profile group from multiple profile groups and a care system filter field 706 for selecting a care system, e.g., a nursing home, from one or more care systems. The selection panel 702 may also include one or more user-selectable filter fields for receiving input indicating a selection of a unit smaller than the care system in terms of number of residents, such as a hospital ward. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the selection panel 702 may include a ward filter field 708 configured to receive user input indicating a selection of a ward within the selected care system. By way of example only, the profile group filter field 704 is shown to include user-selectable filter fields for six groups G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6, each corresponding to a respective profile group; the care system filter field 706 is shown to include user-selectable filter fields S1, S2, and S3, each corresponding to a respective care system; and the ward filter field 708 is shown to include user-selectable filter fields W1, W2, and W3, each corresponding to a respective ward within the selected care system.

[0148] The user-selectable filter fields in the selection panel 702 may be rendered as pull-down or other menus, and user input may be received indicating a selection of any one or more of one or more profile groups, one or more care systems, one or more wards, or one or more assessment parameters. The selection panel 702 allows for different user-selectable filter fields to be selected, added, or removed, such that computer representations of different subjects may be dynamically generated in response to receiving input via the user-selectable filter fields.

[0149] In some examples, the user-selectable filter field is configured to receive user input indicating a selection of an individual wearer within the care system, in which case the user may be enabled to visually perceive the effect of the incontinence product change on the wearer.

[0150] The user-selectable filter fields in the selection panel 702 may be configured to receive corresponding user input, which may be in the form of selection of one or more user-selectable filter fields, for example, by touch, click, or voice command. The representation portion or panel 712 of FIG. 7A is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of a plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and / or one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields by the selection panel 702. A ward or another unit may also be selected via the user-selectable filter fields provided in the selection panel 702.

[0151] In the example of FIG. 7A , the third profile group G3 is shown selected, as indicated by the bold lines, and the second care system S2 is shown selected. The second care system S2 includes three wards W1-W3; in the example shown, no wards are selected, i.e., results may be presented for the entire second care system S2. Note that the care systems S1, S2, and S3 may be associated with the same entity that manages and operates these care systems. In certain examples, a single care system may be available for selection, or the assessment results UI 122 may be presented via the assessment tool 112 used by a single care system, so selecting a care system may not be necessary.

[0152] In some implementations, the selection panel 702 includes an evaluation parameter filter field 709 configured to receive an indication of a selection of one or more of the evaluation parameters, shown by way of example only as three evaluation parameters E1, E2, and E3. The evaluation parameter filter field 709 may be configured to receive an indication of a selection of two or fewer or four or more evaluation parameters. In particular examples, representations of all evaluation parameters used may be displayed for selection. If no specific evaluation parameters are selected, a computer representation may be generated that includes values ​​of all evaluation parameters. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the evaluation server may select evaluation parameters for inclusion in the computer representation by default. Any suitable number of evaluation parameters may be used.

[0153] In response to an indication of a selection of one or more user-selectable filter fields, the representation panel 712 generates a visual representation of the values ​​of the evaluation parameters determined or calculated for the third profile group G3 and the second care system S2. In this manner, the results of the assessment of one or more sets (e.g., a first set and a second set, as in the illustrated embodiment) of incontinence products are shown in the form of values ​​of the evaluation parameters calculated for a person, such as a wearer, assigned to the third profile group G3 and residing in or otherwise associated with the second care system S2.

[0154] The representation panel 712 of FIG. 7A shows a first computer representation 714 of one or more values ​​of a first evaluation parameter from the plurality of evaluation parameters, a second computer representation 716 of one or more values ​​of a second evaluation parameter from the plurality of evaluation parameters, and a third computer representation 718 of one or more values ​​of a third evaluation parameter from the plurality of evaluation parameters. The computer representations of one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may include a first icon representing a corresponding evaluation parameter from the plurality of evaluation parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding evaluation parameter. For example, using the first representation 714 in the representation panel 712 as an example, the first representation 714 includes a first icon 715 representing the corresponding evaluation parameter and a second icon 717 associated with the first icon 715 and representing the value of the corresponding evaluation parameter. The second icon 717 may include values ​​in a numerical, graphical, or other format, or a combination of different formats. FIG. 8, discussed below, shows example icons.

[0155] The second computer representation 716 and the third computer representation 718 similarly each include an associated icon, a first representing an evaluation parameter and a second icon associated with the first representing the value of the evaluation parameter represented by the first icon.

[0156] 7B illustrates an example of the filter-based UI 122 receiving an indication of a selection of evaluation parameter E1 via the evaluation parameter filter field 709. In this example, the filter-based UI 122 is also shown receiving an indication of a selection of three profile groups G3, G4, and G5 via the profile group filter field 704. In response to the indication of selection, a computer representation 720 may be generated that includes a first icon 721 representing the selected evaluation parameter E1 and a second icon, or in this example, a graphical view 723, associated with the first icon 721 and representing the value of the evaluation parameter E1. The value of the evaluation parameter E1 may be shown for each of the three profile groups G3-G5, and the values ​​may be represented, for example, as a graph as shown schematically in FIG. 7B.

[0157] 7A and 7B are shown for illustrative purposes only. A filter-based UI generated and automatically rendered using techniques according to this disclosure may include any feature that may be arranged in various ways in different portions of the filter-based UI.

[0158] In some embodiments, the filter-based UI includes interactive features. For example, one or more of the graphical elements generated on the filter-based UI 122 shown in Figures 7A and 7B may be interactive. For example, the first icon 721 representing the selected evaluation parameter E1 may be interactive such that the first icon 721 may be selectable and, in response to selection, additional information about the selected evaluation parameter E1 may be displayed. The filter-based UI 122 may generate different views.

[0159] 8 shows a snapshot of an example filter-based UI 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8 , a selection portion or panel 802 on the right side includes user-selectable filter fields, including filter fields for receiving input regarding selection of a particular set of daytime types of incontinence products, a particular set of nighttime types of incontinence products, a profile group, a hospital ward, and a care system such as a nursing home. The filter-based UI 800 also includes a representation portion or panel 812 in a portion of the filter-based UI 800 separate from the selection panel 802. The representation panel 812, in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter fields by the selection panel 802, displays a computer-represented presentation of values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters for the selected daytime types of incontinence products, group 3, hospital ward 1, and care systems such as nursing homes 1-4. In this example, representation panel 812 displays computer representations of evaluation parameters including change in total absorption (e.g., per year, month, or another time period), skin health (e.g., defined as the change in the number of wearers needing skin care per year, month, or another time period), care efficiency (e.g., defined as the change in staff or caregiver time per year, month, or another time period), sustainability (e.g., defined as the change in CO2 usage by the care system per year, month, or another time period), and change in total economic value. For example, icon 805 is a computer representation of change in total absorption, and icon 807 is a computer representation of the value of change in total absorption. Icon 805 and any other icon or other graphical feature may be interactive objects such that, in response to user input indicating its selection, filter-based UI 800 may be triggered to switch to another user interface view that may overlay the current user interface view and display a UI feature that allows for viewing of evaluation parameter values ​​related to the selected evaluation parameter, such as change in total absorption in this example.

[0160] The filter-based UI 800 further displays, in the product indication panel 803, a baseline or base incontinence product and the incontinence products to which the effects of changes are to be evaluated and which are compared to the base product. For purposes of explanation only, the base product is referred to as Product A or set of Products A, and the "effect" product is referred to as Product B or set of Products B. In the embodiments described herein, the base product is referred to as the first set of incontinence products, and the products to which the effects of changes are to be evaluated are referred to as the second set of incontinence products.

[0161] The product indication panel 803 may be a static digital object that may be displayed, for example, when assessment time series data is acquired for two incontinence products of different types—e.g., based on the process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products and a second set of one or more incontinence products. For example, when the assessment time series data is acquired, the current stage may be indicated, for example, by a stage field in the assessment UI 114 of FIG. 1 . Accordingly, the computer device on which the assessment time series data is acquired and the evaluation server receiving this data may treat the assessment time series data accordingly, and the filter-based UI may display a computer representation indicating, in association with the representation of the values ​​of the evaluation parameters, which set of products was used as the base product (e.g., the first set of one or more incontinence products) and which set of products was used as the comparison or effect product (e.g., the second set of one or more incontinence products).

[0162] In some cases, one type of base product, e.g., a first set of incontinence products, may be used as the basis for comparison with two or more assessed effect products, e.g., a second set of incontinence products. As with other examples herein, a “second” set may refer to a set that includes incontinence products that have at least one difference from the incontinence products of the first set or that have a difference in the process of use between the first set and the second set. The product indication panel 803 may be an interactive digital object that may receive user input indicating a selection between a base incontinence product set and another effect incontinence product set, the effect of which will be displayed in the filter-based UI 800. Although not shown in FIG. 8 , the product indication panel 803 may be configured to receive user input regarding a selection of two or more pairs of base-effect product sets, such that the representation panel 812 may display a computer representation of the values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters for the selected base-effect product set. For example, when the respective processes of use of different first and second product sets have been assessed for different wearers in a care system, the product indication panel 803 may allow a user to submit input indicating a selection of several base and effect products. As an exemplary implementation, the product indication panel 803 may be in the form of a pull-down menu from which a user can select a base-effect product set pair corresponding to the first and second product sets. As another possible implementation, the product indication panel 803 may not require selection of base and effect products in its default configuration, such that the representation panel 812 may by default display a computer representation of the values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters for all assessed base and effect product sets, for example, for a care system or group of related care systems.The user may then submit input via the product indication panel 803 to instruct the representation panel 812 to display results for a particular pair of base and effect product sets from all of the base and effect product sets assessed, or for two or more pairs of base and effect product sets, depending on what assessment was performed for the care system or group of related care systems.

[0163] 8, the change in care efficiency and total economic value is greater than when the respective base incontinence product set was used, thus indicating the superiority of the incontinence product set being assessed, such as the second set of incontinence products. In response to such a determination, suitable actions, indications, and / or recommendations may be initiated or generated in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the value of the evaluation parameter may be compared to a corresponding threshold value to determine whether a change in value reflecting a temporary switch to another incontinence product during the assessment time indicates a sufficient improvement in value to warrant a more permanent change to the incontinence product set being evaluated.

[0164] In some embodiments, ranges of one or more evaluation parameters may be determined to define care requirement groups. Optionally, the method may include a computer-generated representation of the one or more care requirement groups. Thus, the care requirement groups may be used to simplify the representation of one or more evaluation parameters. For example, in response to receiving first and second assessment time series data, generated values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters may indicate a shift from a first care requirement group to a second care requirement group. For example, the care efficiency of the evaluation parameter defined as required staff or caregiver hours may be used to define care efficiency groups, with each care efficiency group corresponding to a range of the care efficiency of the evaluation parameter. In response to receiving the first and second assessment time series data, generated values ​​of multiple evaluation parameters may indicate a shift from a first care efficiency group to a second care efficiency group. This represents a change in required staff or caregiver hours at a group level, thus providing a simplified view of the care efficiency of the evaluation parameter. Similarly, absorption groups may be defined by applying a range to the absorption of the evaluation parameter.

[0165] Additionally, in some examples, as shown in FIG. 8 , the representation panel 812 may include an information panel 815 that indicates the period for which the assessment results in the representation panel 812 are displayed, the number of wearers, such as residents, for whom the assessment results are generated, and the date the assessment results were generated.

[0166] 9 shows a snapshot of an example filter-based UI 900 according to an aspect of the present disclosure, where the filter-based UI 900 includes a computer representation of values ​​of an evaluation parameter, such as total absorbency level, for a selected profile group 3 and day and night types of incontinence products of a particular incontinence product set. The filter-based UI 900 may be rendered when a total absorbency level evaluation parameter is selected, for example, through an evaluation parameter selection field 914, which may include an input field 916. The filter-based UI 900 may, in some cases, be rendered in response to a user input indicating a selection of the total absorbency level evaluation parameter, in this example, through a user interface such as, for example, the filter-based UI 800 of FIG. 8. Thus, for example, the computer representation 805 corresponding to the total absorbency level evaluation parameter may be interactive such that it may be activated to trigger the display of a representation or panel 912 or a panel overlying the representation panel 812 of FIG. 8. The evaluation parameter selection field 914, which may be displayed regardless of how the filter-based UI 900 is rendered, may be used, for example, to receive user input indicating a selection of one or more other evaluation parameters via an input field 916.

[0167] 9, selection portion or panel 902 includes a user-selectable filter field, and representation portion or panel 912 displays values ​​of the total absorbency level assessment parameter separately for day types of incontinence products of the second set, for night types of incontinence products of the second set, and for the combined values ​​for the day and night types of incontinence products of the second set. In some cases, the total absorbency value may be calculated using the Rothwell scale or system applied to incontinence care products, which is a measure of how absorbent a particular incontinence product is and how much liquid it can absorb and hold before it becomes more likely to leak due to being overfilled.

[0168] In the example shown, the representation panel 912 also shows respective graphs for the day and night types of incontinence products of the second set. In the graphs, all six groups G1 to G6 are shown and the value of the total absorption level evaluation parameter for the selected group 3, G3 is shown. The graphs are shown as an example only, as any other computer representation may be used to visualize the values ​​of the evaluation parameters.

[0169] The filter-based UI 900 may include a product indication panel 903 that may resemble the product indication panel 803 of Figure 8. The product indication panel may be interactive to allow a selection to be visualized of a base or baseline product or set of products and a product or set for which the effect of changes to the product or set are desired compared to the baseline product.

[0170] In some embodiments, a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure further includes generating a second computer representation of the configuration of the care system and displaying the positions of the wearers from the plurality of wearers in the care system on the second computer representation. The second computer representation may include values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearers. The second computer representation may additionally or alternatively include values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a first process of use of the first set of incontinence products worn by the wearers. The second computer representation may be generated, for example, on a computer device such as computer device 102 of FIG. 1 or on a display associated with computer device 102. The second computer representation may be generated on a filter-based UI or on another UI rendered by a processing circuit of the computer device.

[0171] In some embodiments, the second set of incontinence products may include a second wireless sensor configured to measure the incontinence activity of a wearer using the second set of incontinence products as measured second incontinence data and to send the measured second incontinence data to a digital diary in communication with a data storage device so that the wearer profile record is updated to store the measured second incontinence data. The digital diary may be part of an assessment tool, e.g., assessment tool 112 of FIG. 1 . Thus, the assessment tool may receive the measured second incontinence data and send the measured second incontinence data to data storage device 106, which records the measured second incontinence data in a respective profile record stored for the wearer. For example, with reference to system 100 of FIG. 1 , the measured second incontinence data may be stored as part of metadata, e.g., metadata 132, of the wearer profile record in wearer profile record storage 124. Further, the measured second incontinence data may be used for computer-based allocation of wearers of the second set of incontinence products to profile groups from the plurality of profile groups. The assessment tool may receive the assessment time series data and the measured second incontinence data, integrate the assessment time series data with the measured second incontinence data, and send the assessment time series data and the measured first incontinence data to the evaluation server.

[0172] Similarly, the first set of incontinence products may include a first wireless sensor configured to measure the toilet activity of a wearer using the first set of incontinence products as measured first toilet data and configured to send the measured first toilet data to a digital diary in communication with the data storage device such that the wearer profile record is updated to store the measured first toilet data. As discussed above, the digital diary may be part of the assessment tool 112 of FIG. 1. The measured first toilet data may be treated similarly to the measured second toilet data discussed above.

[0173] 2B , at block 214, process 200a further includes receiving, from the assessment server, a recommendation to the care system regarding a process of use of the second set of incontinence products. The recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to at least one step from a plurality of second steps of the second process of use of one or more incontinence products of the second set. As another example, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

[0174] At block 216, process 200a further includes receiving an indication from the evaluation server to the care system, the indication recommending that the care system use the second set of incontinence products. The indication may be received in any suitable format and via any suitable computing device. As used herein, the terms "indication" and "recommendation" are used interchangeably. In some embodiments, process 200a may further include, in response to receiving the indication, automatically sending an order to acquire the second set of incontinence products, as shown in block 217 of FIG. 2B . Thus, when a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure determines that it is more advantageous for the care system to use the second set of incontinence products based on the processing of the assessment time-series data and the wearer profile record by the evaluation server and based on the calculation of the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters, an automatic order for the second set of incontinence products may be sent to the manufacturer or distributor. In this way, the second set of incontinence products may be indicated as being superior to the first set of incontinence products.

[0175] In some embodiments, the assessment tool 112 is configured to ensure that an indication of action is received in relation to the received values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters. In other words, once the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters are received from the assessment server, the assessment tool 112 monitors whether input is received from a user in the care system regarding the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters and, therefore, regarding the evaluation of the second set of incontinence products. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B , in block 218, a notification may be generated after a certain period of time. The notification may be generated by the computing device 102 or may be received from or based on instructions received from the assessment server 104. The notification requests an indication of action regarding the computer-generated evaluation of the process of use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. For example, if after a certain period of time, the filter-based UI or another UI rendered by the assessment tool 112 does not receive an indication of action regarding the evaluation of the process of using the second set of incontinence products, the user of the assessment tool 112 may be automatically prompted to submit an indication of action. The indication of action may be, for example, an indication to order the second set of incontinence products, an indication of a decision not to proceed with the use of the second set of incontinence products, an indication of further inquiry regarding the second set of incontinence products, or any other indication of a particular decision regarding the plurality of evaluation parameters.

[0176] In an exemplary embodiment, the operations of blocks 214, 216, 217, and 218 of FIG. 2B may be performed as part of the operation of block 211 of FIG. 2A.

[0177] In some embodiments, the second set of incontinence products may be selected based on sensor data acquired from test incontinence products, which are used by a wearer during an information collection period. The test incontinence products may be a type of incontinence product configured to be worn by a wearer for a specific period of time for the purpose of evaluating the wearer's elimination behavior and other characteristics. The test incontinence products function as normal, i.e., incontinence products not used for testing.

[0178] For example, methods according to embodiments described herein for computing device 102, such as methods 200, 200a discussed above, may be implemented using a computer program product or computer program that includes instructions, i.e., software code portions, that, when executed on at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform the actions described herein to be performed by computing device 102, respectively. The computer program product may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, e.g., a disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) stick, etc. The computer-readable storage medium having the computer program product stored thereon may include instructions that, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the actions described herein to be performed by computing device 102.

[0179] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of communication between components of a computer system, such as system 100 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the computer device 102 may receive or acquire assessment time-series data, for example, via a graphical UI of an assessment tool. The computer device 102 receives a wearer profile record associated with a profile identifier from the data storage device 106. The computer device 102 then sends the wearer profile record and the assessment time-series data to the assessment server 104, which may be performed separately or simultaneously. The computer device 102 then receives values ​​of multiple assessment parameters from the assessment server 104. The assessment server 104 may instruct the computer device 102 to render a filter-based UI, such as filter-based UI 122 of FIG. 1 (indicated by arrow 302), configured for interaction with a user regarding analysis of values ​​of the multiple assessment parameters displayed as computer representations on the filter-based UI.

[0180] 4 illustrates a method or process 400 for selecting one or more incontinence products of a second set according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method may be implemented by a computing device, such as computing device 102 of FIG. 1, or another computing device in communication with a ratings server, such as, for example, ratings server 104 of FIG. 1.

[0181] In block 402 of FIG. 4 , sensor data may be acquired from a test incontinence product. The test incontinence product may include a wireless sensor configured to measure the excretion activity of a wearer using the test incontinence product and to transmit the measured test excretion data to an evaluation server as sensor data including measured test excretion data. The test incontinence product may be, for example, a disposable incontinence product in the form of a disposable undergarment. The wireless sensor associated with the test incontinence product may be a thin, discrete component for collecting excretion information configured to be disposed within the test incontinence product in a manner that does not cause discomfort to the wearer. For example, the test incontinence product may include a compartment configured to removably accommodate the wireless sensor. The wireless sensor may be disposed within the test incontinence product to measure the amount, frequency, and other characteristics associated with liquid and solid excretion.

[0182] Sensor data, such as measured test stool data, may be acquired during an information collection period of any suitable duration. In some embodiments, the information collection period is 72 hours. In some embodiments, the information collection period is 24 hours, 48 ​​hours, or longer than 72 hours.

[0183] The measured test excretion data is sent to an evaluation server at block 404. The wireless sensor may be configured to record and transmit the test excretion data to a device or server, such as the evaluation server.

[0184] In some cases, the test incontinence product may be associated with or include a logger system or kit including a reusable logger and charger. The logger may be communicatively coupled to the wireless sensor and configured to record test incontinence data acquired by the wireless sensor and transmit the test incontinence data to an evaluation server. The charger is configured to charge the logger when the logger is not in use. The logger may be a reusable computing device configured and sized to be removably placed within the test incontinence product, for example, in a compartment configured to accommodate the wireless sensor and logger. Alternatively, the logger may be removably coupled to an outer surface, for example, the front, of the test incontinence product in a manner that does not interfere with the wearer's use of the test incontinence product. The wireless sensor may be associated with an identifier or ID that uniquely identifies the wireless sensor. In implementations in which a logger is used, the logger may be associated with a unique ID that identifies the logger so that a server receiving data transmitted by the logger can determine the sender of the data.

[0185] In some embodiments, the test incontinence product includes a TENA Smart Care Identifi™ product (Essity) that employs smart sensor technology. However, it should be understood that embodiments according to the present disclosure are not limited to any particular test incontinence product, and any type of incontinence product that includes or is associated with a sensor, such as a wireless sensor, may be used for testing purposes, i.e., to obtain output data using the sensor that is collected while a person wears the test incontinence product for a period of time.

[0186] The evaluation server may integrate the measured test excretion data with other information related to the wearer of the measured test excretion data and information obtained from a care system in which the wearer may reside. Information about the wearer may be obtained by the evaluation server from a memory, such as, for example, the data storage device 106 of FIG. 1. For example, in some embodiments, information about the wearer may be stored in a respective profile record of records stored in the profile record storage.

[0187] The evaluation server may analyze the measured test output data along with other information to determine what type of incontinence product is appropriate for the wearer. The evaluation server may also determine whether any adjustments to the process of use of the incontinence product suitable for the wearer are required.

[0188] Thus, in block 406 of Figure 4, instructions to select a particular set of incontinence products may be received from the evaluation server. In some embodiments herein, the instructions may indicate the selection of a second set of incontinence products as the most appropriate incontinence products for the wearer. The instructions may be received via a graphical user interface or in any other manner. Regardless of its particular format, the instructions may be received in a manner that prompts action from the care facility.

[0189] In some examples of the present disclosure, assessment time-series data is obtained in association with a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products and a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products. Values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters are generated that indicate a comparison between the first process of use of the one or more incontinence products of the first set worn by the wearer and the second process of use of the one or more incontinence products of the second set worn by the wearer. This allows for conversion into computer-generated numerical and / or other forms and visualization of the differences between different types of incontinence products.

[0190] 2A and 2B, a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be performed at least in part remotely, i.e., when at least some of its steps or actions are performed by a remote computer system, e.g., an assessment server. For example, the assessment tool 112 of the system 100 described herein may execute on the computing device 102 during operation and may rely on server processing for processing the assessment time-series data and determining values ​​of the assessment parameters. Thus, for example, the assessment server 104 may process the assessment time-series data together with other data and determine values ​​of the assessment parameters in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0191] In some examples, methods according to aspects of the present disclosure may be executed locally, e.g., on one or more computing devices or systems associated with and controlled by a care system. For example, at least one hardware processor, e.g., processing circuitry, of a computing device, such as computing device 102 of FIG. 1, may execute methods according to aspects of the present disclosure. For example, assessment tool 112 may execute on computing device 102 using the processing circuitry of computing device 102. Computing device 102 may communicate with servers and / or other devices or systems during execution of the methods, such that data may be acquired by assessment tool 112, e.g., from a remote storage device and / or from assessment server 104.

[0192] Additionally, in some examples, methods according to aspects of the present disclosure may be performed remotely, e.g., from a remote computer system such as, for example, the assessment server 104 of the system 100. In such examples, for example, the assessment tool 112 accessible via the computing device 102 may be executed at least partially or entirely on the assessment server 104.

[0193] 5 illustrates an example of a computer-implemented method or process 500 that includes executing at least one processor of a computer system to perform the steps or acts of process 500. The at least one processor of the computer system may be operated to execute computer-executable instructions stored in a memory of the computer system. The computer system may be, for example, a ratings server such as the ratings server 104 of FIG. 1 , where the at least one processor 144 of the ratings server 104 may be operated to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 146 of the ratings server 104 and / or another storage device. Process 500 is described herein as being performed by the ratings server 104. However, in some examples, the computer system may be the computing device 102 of FIG. 1 .

[0194] Process 500 may include processing acts similar to some of the acts of processes 200 (FIG. 2A) and 200a (FIG. 2B), and descriptions of particular features will not be repeated herein for the sake of brevity. The steps or acts of process 500 can be performed in any suitable order, which may differ from the order shown. Optional actions are indicated using dashed lines.

[0195] In block 502, process 500 includes receiving, for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system, first assessment time series data regarding a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during a first assessment period.

[0196] The first assessment time series data may be acquired during an assessment period. The data may be acquired at evenly spaced time points, for example, every two hours, every three hours, or every four hours. The time points may also be unevenly distributed over the duration of the assessment period. For example, during the night, fewer data points may be acquired at more sparsely spaced time points.

[0197] Non-limiting examples of the first assessment time series data include one or more of skin assessments, changes of the first set of incontinence products, feces in the first set of incontinence products, toilet visits, cleansing and protection events, occurrence of urinary leakage, clothing change events, linen change events, application of the first set of daytime incontinence products, or application of the first set of nighttime incontinence products.

[0198] In block 504, optionally, after the first assessment time-series data is received, sensor data acquired from the test incontinence product may be received. As discussed above, the test incontinence product may be used by a wearer during an information collection period, and the test incontinence product may include a wireless sensor configured to measure the wearer's incontinence activity using the test incontinence product, with the sensor data including the measured test incontinence data. The test incontinence product is configured to send the measured test incontinence data to the evaluation server. For example, as discussed above, the test incontinence product may send the measured test incontinence data using a wireless sensor and / or a logger. The measured test incontinence data may be used, for example, to select one or more incontinence products of a second set as potential replacements for the incontinence products of the first set. In other words, the measured test incontinence data may be used to determine whether it is worth evaluating whether the second set of one or more incontinence products may be more suitable for a particular wearer than the first set of one or more incontinence products. For example, if the first set of incontinence products is not absorbent enough for the wearer, it may be determined that another set of one or more incontinence products may be more suitable for the wearer. Thus, an assessment according to examples of the present disclosure may be subsequently conducted to compare, for example, the process of use of each of the second set of one or more incontinence products and the first set of one or more incontinence products.

[0199] The processing of block 504 may be optional, as the second set of one or more incontinence products may be selected in any suitable manner, and the examples herein are not limited to any particular manner in which the second set of incontinence products is selected.

[0200] At block 506, process 500 includes receiving, for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, second assessment time series data relating to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during a second assessment period. The wearers are the same people who previously wore the first set of incontinence products, so that assessment time series data is acquired for each wearer regarding the process of use of two sets of products. The second assessment time series data may be acquired to determine by a computer whether use of the second set of incontinence products is more advantageous to the wearer of the products and / or the care system compared to use of the first set of incontinence products. While conventional methods for comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different types of incontinence products do not involve computer-based derivation of values ​​of evaluation parameters as performed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, embodiments thus advantageously enable more informed decisions regarding the selection and use of incontinence products.

[0201] The second assessment time series data may be acquired for a specific duration, such as a second assessment period, which may be the same duration as the duration used to acquire the first assessment time series data. Thus, in some examples, the first assessment period and the second assessment period may have the same or similar durations. Note that the first assessment period and the second assessment period may not have exactly the same duration. For example, additional data may be acquired during one or both assessment periods when data collection at a scheduled time point is missed or for other reasons. Also, differences between the first and second processes of use may require acquisition of different amounts of data. The second assessment time series data may be acquired at specific time intervals. The time points at which the second assessment time series data is acquired may be predefined. The time points may be the same as the time points used to acquire the first assessment time series data, but as discussed above, there may be some differences in some cases. Additionally, a user, such as a caregiver, may be able to override predefined or preset times, for example, when a product check is required at a time that does not coincide with a predefined time.

[0202] In particular examples, the first assessment time-series data and the second assessment time-series data may be received via an assessment user interface of an assessment tool, such as, for example, assessment tool 112 of FIG.

[0203] Non-limiting examples of the second assessment time series data include one or more of skin assessments, changes of the second set of incontinence products, feces in the second set of incontinence products, toilet visits, cleansing and protection events, occurrence of urinary leakage, clothing change events, linen change events, application of the second set of daytime incontinence products, or application of the second set of nighttime incontinence products.

[0204] The assessment parameters associated with the use of the first set of incontinence products worn by the wearer and the assessment parameters associated with the use of the second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer may be the same.

[0205] In some examples, the assessment parameters associated with the use of a first set of incontinence products worn by the wearer may differ from the assessment parameters associated with the use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. For example, the differences between the first and second sets may require the acquisition of different types of assessment data, such that there may be resulting differences between the assessment parameters employed in connection with the first and second sets, respectively. Also, when there are any differences in the respective processes of use of the first and second sets of incontinence products, different types of assessment data may be acquired for the process of use of one of these sets compared to the other one of the first and second sets. However, even if there are differences in the assessment parameters, the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data are comparable.

[0206] At block 508, process 500 includes receiving a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer. The wearer profile record may be received, for example, from a data storage device. The wearer profile record may be received directly from a data storage device, for example, data storage device 106 of FIG. 1, or may be received via a computing device, such as computing device 102, configured to access the data storage device.

[0207] The first assessment time-series data includes assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of a first set of incontinence products worn by the wearer, and the second assessment time-series data includes assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of a second set of incontinence products worn by the wearer. The first and second use processes each include multiple steps. The first and second processes may have the same or similar steps so that the data obtained as a result of the first and second processes are comparable. Steps in both the first and second processes may include checking the condition of the wearer and / or the condition of the incontinence products worn by the wearer, for example, partially undressing the wearer, removing or assisting the wearer in removing the used (soiled) incontinence product, cleansing parts of the wearer's body affected by the used incontinence product, applying a cream or another composition to the wearer's skin, preparing a new incontinence product to be applied to the wearer, and applying the new incontinence product to the wearer. Additionally or alternatively, any step or substep may be included. The process of using incontinence products may also include changing linen, manually or automatically monitoring the status of the product, such as checking whether the currently worn product remains dry or whether the currently worn product has become soiled, etc. The checks may not include changing clothing or linen when it is not needed. Multiple steps in the process of use may be defined in the evaluation server. The care system may also develop and adopt a specific set or two or more sets of use processes suitable for the wearer, care worker, type of product used, features of the care system, etc. The process of using a specific set of incontinence products may be tailored as discussed herein.

[0208] As with other examples discussed herein, a wearer may be assigned to a profile group from multiple profiles or care groups based on at least the wearer's toileting patterns, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive abilities. For example, a wearer may be assigned to one of the six profile groups shown in Table 1 above. However, any other number of profile groups, including five or fewer or seven or more, may be employed in methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0209] Furthermore, for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of steps is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step, for example, as shown in profile group table 134 of FIG. 1. More specifically, individuals assigned to different profile groups may require different amounts and types of assistance with donning an incontinence product. Thus, depending on the profile group to which a wearer is assigned based on the wearer's ability to use an incontinence product and other factors, different amounts of effort, defined herein as the amount of time, are required to perform each step in the process of using an incontinence product. For example, as shown in Table 1 for wearers in Groups 2 and 5 or 6, it may take less time to remove a used incontinence product and wash the wearer if the wearer has moderately reduced mobility or occasional mild confusion, compared to wearers with reduced mobility.

[0210] As used herein, the process of using an incontinence product is considered to be performed by a caregiver, caregiver, or any other person other than the wearer. However, it should be understood that depending on the wearer's physical and mental abilities, the wearer may participate in the replacement and application of a new incontinence product, thereby participating in the process of using an incontinence product. Also, for wearers assigned to a profile group in which the person can use the toilet independently, for example, group 1 in Table 1, an assessment and evaluation process according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed as the wearer goes through the process of using an incontinence product.

[0211] Regardless of the particular manner in which the process of using an incontinence product is actually carried out, the process is defined to include multiple steps, each associated with an estimated duration required to perform that step, which may be different for different profile groups.

[0212] In block 510, process 500, in response to receiving the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data and receiving a wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, generates values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer and a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers. The processing of block 510 may also include receiving information or data related to one or more of product data, care system settings, or evaluation settings. For example, data may be received from product data storage 147 (FIG. 1), care system settings 135 (FIG. 1), and evaluation settings 139 (FIG. 1). The values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may be estimated based on one or more of the product data, care system settings, or evaluation settings. Values ​​for the plurality of evaluation parameters may be generated based on the first and second assessment time-series data and based on data relating to one or more of product data, care system settings, or evaluation settings.

[0213] The values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may indicate a comparison between a first plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products and a second plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products. The values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may indicate a ratio between the first plurality of evaluation parameters and the second plurality of evaluation parameters.

[0214] In some embodiments, the comparison between the first and second plurality of evaluation parameters may indicate the effect of differences between certain characteristics of the second set of incontinence products versus the first set of incontinence products on the values ​​of the evaluation parameters. For example, the presence of a leak barrier, the type of top sheet material, the likelihood in the absorbency level of the product, the likelihood in the body fastening type (e.g., insert pad, open diaper, or belted diaper), which may differ between the second set of incontinence products and the first set of incontinence products, may be evaluated in terms of the effect of such changes on the values ​​of one or more evaluation parameters.

[0215] Recommendations may be generated to the care system regarding a second process of using the second set of incontinence products at block 512. The recommendations may include recommendations for using the second set of incontinence products in the care system.

[0216] In certain examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to at least one step from a plurality of steps of the second process of using the second set of incontinence products. In certain examples, the recommendation may include a recommendation of a modification to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products. The recommendation to the care system may be generated using sensor data acquired from the test incontinence products. Sensor data, such as measured test output data acquired from the test incontinence products, may be used in addition to the assessment time series data to determine whether to recommend use of the second set of incontinence products to the care system.

[0217] In some cases, recommendations may be generated based solely on the sensor data acquired from the test incontinence products. Such recommendations may be used to make decisions regarding the assessment and evaluation of a second set of incontinence products for the care system. For example, a preliminary recommendation for assessing and evaluating the second set of incontinence products may be generated based on the sensor data acquired from the test incontinence products. Then, after the values ​​of the evaluation parameters are determined for the assessment and evaluation of the second set of incontinence products, a final recommendation may be generated.

[0218] An indication may be generated to a care system, recommending that the care system use a second set of incontinence products, at block 514. The indication may be generated using sensor data acquired from the test incontinence products.

[0219] In some embodiments, as shown in block 515, process 500 optionally includes automatically sending a request to an external computer to deliver a quantity of the second set of incontinence products to the care system when the value of at least one of the evaluation parameters reaches or exceeds a threshold. For example, when the value of the evaluation parameter, such as the change in total economic value, i.e., the increase in cost savings by the care system, exceeds a certain threshold, an automatic decision regarding the use of the second set of incontinence products by the care system may be made, and the second set of incontinence products may therefore replace the first set of incontinence products. The automatic decision may include sending an automatic order for a certain quantity of the second set of incontinence products. The automatic decision may also prompt the initiation of other actions, such as an indication of required caregiver training, an indication of changes to the process of using the second set of incontinence products, and other actions.

[0220] In block 516, the assessment server may instruct rendering the generated values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters on a user interface. For example, the assessment server may instruct generating or rendering a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters on the user interface. The user interface may include a filter-based user interface (UI) including a user-selectable filter field for selecting at least one or more care groups from a plurality of care groups. In an example in which the wearer is associated with, e.g., resides in, a care system belonging to a group including two or more care systems, the filter-based UI may further include a user-selectable filter field for selecting one or more care systems from the one or more care systems. The filter-based UI may be instructed to be rendered on the computing device on which the assessment tool is accessed or on another computing device. One or more computing devices associated with the care system may render the filter-based UI, also referred to as an assessment result UI, in response to corresponding instructions from the assessment server.

[0221] In an example, the assessment server may instruct rendering the generated values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters on the filter-based UI 122 of Figure 1. In the method 500 illustrated in connection with Figure 5, the values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters may indicate a comparison between a first plurality of assessment parameters and a second plurality of assessment parameters. Thus, a filter-based UI may be rendered that allows receiving an indication of a selection of one or more profile groups, one or more care systems, one or more wards or other units of the care system, and one or more assessment parameters, such that, in response to the selection, a computer representation is generated on the filter-based UI in the form of a comparison between the first plurality of assessment parameters and the second plurality of assessment parameters, as discussed throughout this disclosure.

[0222] In some embodiments, the filter-based user interface is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of a plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and in some cases also one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via a user-selectable filter field. In some embodiments, the computer representation of the one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters includes a first icon representing a corresponding assessment parameter from the plurality of assessment parameters and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing the value of the corresponding assessment parameter.

[0223] The various methods or processes outlined in this disclosure may be implemented in any suitable hardware. Furthermore, the various methods or processes outlined herein may be implemented in a combination of hardware and software executable on one or more processors employing any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Any suitable combination of hardware and software may be employed to implement any of the examples discussed herein.

[0224] 10 is a schematic diagram of a computer system or device for implementing examples disclosed herein, such as, for example, computer device 102 shown in FIG. 1. Computer device 102 may include any collection of devices that individually or collectively execute a set or sets of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods, processes, steps, or acts described herein. Computer device 102 may be a single general-purpose programmable digital computing device, a coordinated system of two or more general-purpose computing devices that share processing power and collectively execute the techniques described herein, a single computing device or a coordinated system of computing devices (co-located or geographically distributed) dedicated to executing the techniques described herein, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for executing the techniques described herein, or any other suitable system or device.

[0225] The computing device 102 may include at least one processor or processing circuitry, such as a processor device 110, and memory 108. The computing device 102 also includes an input and output interface 1000 configured to communicate with any of the example devices, systems, and / or components according to this disclosure. The input and output interface 1000 may include wireless and / or wired receivers, wireless and / or wired transmitters, and / or wireless and / or wired transceivers.

[0226] Processor device 110 may be a computing device that is programmed to execute instructions when the instructions are stored in a manner accessible to the computing device, such as in a data store, e.g., an on-chip cache or instruction register, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via a bus, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via one or more networks and accessible by the device / processor, etc. Processor device 110 may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, an application-specific processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit including processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein.

[0227] Memory 108 may be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer-executable instructions for performing or facilitating one or more processes described herein. The computer-executable instructions may be implemented as software, including application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or any other suitable type of computer code.

[0228] Memory 108 may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of information structures to support the various methods or processes described herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be utilized in the systems and methods of this description. Memory 108 may be communicatively connected to processor device 110, for example, via a circuit or any other wired, wireless, or network connection. Memory 108 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine with processor device 110.

[0229] Methods according to aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by, e.g., a computer program product 1080 or computer program that includes computer-executable instructions, i.e., software code portions, that, when executed on at least one processor, e.g., processor device 110, cause the at least one processor to perform actions described herein to be performed by computing device 102. In some examples, the computer program product 1080 is stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1090. The computer-readable storage medium 1090 may be, for example, a disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) stick, or any other type of computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 1090 having the computer program product stored thereon may include instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, e.g., processor device 110, cause the at least one processor to perform actions of methods described herein to be performed by computing device 102.

[0230] 10 , the computing device 102 may include a receiving unit 1002. The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may be configured to receive, for each wearer from a plurality of wearers in the care system, assessment time series data related to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during an assessment period. The assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products including a plurality of second steps, and for each profile group from the plurality of second steps, a step from the plurality of second steps is associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step.

[0231] The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may be further configured to receive, from the evaluation server, a recommendation to the care system regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products.

[0232] The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may be further configured to receive an indication from the evaluation server to the care system, the indication recommending that the care system use a second set of incontinence products.

[0233] The computing device 102 may include an acquiring unit 1004. The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the acquiring unit 1004 may be configured to acquire, from a data storage device, a wearer profile record stored on the data storage device, where the wearer profile record is created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer.

[0234] The computing device 102 may include a sending unit 1006. The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the sending unit 1006 may be configured to send the wearer profile record to the evaluation server. The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the sending unit 1006 may be configured to send the assessment time-series data to the evaluation server. The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the sending unit 1006 may be configured to automatically send a request from the computing device or from the evaluation server to an external computer when the value of at least one of the plurality of assessment parameters reaches or exceeds a threshold value, for a second set of specific amounts of incontinence products to be delivered to the care system.

[0235] The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the receiving unit 1002 may be configured to receive values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the plurality of wearers based on processing by the evaluation server of each wearer's assessment time-series data and wearer profile records from the plurality of wearers. The values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may be received from the evaluation server.

[0236] As further shown in FIG. 10 , the computing device 102 may include a generating unit 1008. The computing device 102, the processor device 110, and / or the generating unit 1008 may be configured to generate a computer representation of one or more values ​​of a plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to one or more selected profile groups of a care system from one or more care systems. The computer representation may be generated on a UI, for example, a filter-based UI. The filter-based UI may include a user-selectable filter field for selecting one or more profile groups from the plurality of profile groups and, in some examples, a user-selectable filter field for selecting one or more care systems from the one or more care systems. The filter-based UI may be configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to the selected one or more profile groups and the selected one or more care systems in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter field. The user interface may be rendered by the assessment tool.

[0237] 11 is a schematic diagram of a computer system or server for implementing examples disclosed herein, such as, for example, the assessment server 104 shown in FIG. 1. The assessment server 104 may include any collection of servers or devices that individually or collectively execute one or more sets of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods, processes, steps, or actions described herein. The assessment server 104 may be a single general-purpose programmable digital computing device, a coordinated system of two or more general-purpose computing devices that share processing power and collectively execute the techniques described herein, a single computing device or a coordinated system of computing devices (co-located or geographically distributed) dedicated to executing the techniques described herein, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for executing the techniques described herein, or any other suitable system or device.

[0238] The assessment server 104 may include at least one processing circuit, such as a processor or processor device 144, and a memory 146. The assessment server 104 also includes an input and output interface 1100 configured to communicate with any of the example devices, systems, and / or components according to this disclosure. The input and output interface 1100 may include wireless and / or wired receivers, wireless and / or wired transmitters, and / or wireless and / or wired transceivers.

[0239] Processor device 144 may be a computing device that is programmed to execute instructions when the instructions are stored in a manner accessible to the computing device, such as in a data store, e.g., an on-chip cache or instruction register, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via a bus, a computer-readable storage medium accessible via one or more networks and accessible by the device / processor, etc. Processor device 144 may include, for example, a general-purpose processor, an application-specific processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit including processing components, a group of distributed processing components, a group of distributed computers configured for processing, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein.

[0240] Memory 146 may be one or more devices for storing data and / or computer-executable instructions for performing or facilitating one or more processes described herein. The computer-executable instructions may be implemented as software, including application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or any other suitable type of computer code.

[0241] Memory 146 may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of information structures to support the various methods or processes described herein. Any distributed or local memory device may be utilized in the systems and methods of this description. Memory 146 may be communicatively connected to processor device 144, for example, via circuitry or any other wired, wireless, or network connection. Memory 146 may include non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer or other machine with processor device 144.

[0242] Methods according to aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by, e.g., a computer program product 1180 or computer program that includes computer-executable instructions, i.e., software code portions, that, when executed on at least one processor, e.g., processor device 144, cause the at least one processor to perform actions described herein to be performed by the assessment server 104. In some examples, the computer program product 1180 is stored on a computer-readable storage medium 1190. The computer-readable storage medium 1190 may be, for example, a disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) stick, or any other type of computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium 1190 having the computer program product stored thereon may include instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, e.g., processor device 144, cause the at least one processor to perform actions of methods described herein to be performed by the assessment server 104.

[0243] 11 , the evaluation server 104 may include a generating unit 1102. The evaluation server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the generating unit 1102 may be configured to generate or determine or calculate values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the plurality of wearers based on processing of each wearer's assessment time-series data and wearer profile records from the plurality of wearers. The values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters may be generated as described above herein.

[0244] The assessment server 104 may include a receiving unit 1104. The assessment server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the receiving unit 1104 may be configured to receive assessment time series data related to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer. The assessment time series data may include assessment values ​​of assessment parameters related to the use of the second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer, the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products may include a plurality of second steps, and for each profile group from the plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of second steps may be associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step.

[0245] The assessment server 104 may include an acquiring unit 1106. The assessment server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the acquiring unit 1106 may be configured to acquire a wearer profile record, where the wearer profile record is created for the wearer, where the wearer profile record indicates a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer. The assessment server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the acquiring unit 1106 may be configured to acquire other information, for example, information from product data storage, care system settings, assessment settings, etc.

[0246] The assessment server 104 may include a generating unit 1108. The assessment server 104, the processor device 144, and / or the generating unit 1108 may be configured to generate a computer representation of one or more values ​​of a plurality of assessment parameters corresponding to one or more selected profile groups of care systems from one or more care systems. The computer representation may be directed to be generated or rendered on a computing device, for example, on a user interface of the computing device 102 or another computing device or system.

[0247] The computing device 102 and the assessment server 104 may include other units that implement the functionality of the examples of this disclosure.

[0248] The operational steps according to any of the exemplary aspects herein are described to provide examples and discussion. The steps may be performed by hardware components, may be embodied in machine-executable instructions for causing a processor to perform the steps, or may be performed by a combination of hardware and software. Although a particular order of method steps may be shown or described, the order of the steps may be different. Furthermore, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence.

[0249] In this regard, various inventive concepts may be embodied as at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., computer memory, one or more floppy disks, compact disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes, flash memory, circuitry within a field programmable gate array or other semiconductor device, etc.) encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, implement various embodiments of the present invention. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media may be transportable such that the program or programs stored thereon may be loaded onto any computer resource to implement various aspects of the present invention as discussed above.

[0250] The terms "program" or "software" are used herein in a generic sense to refer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executable instructions that may be employed to program a computer or other processor to implement various aspects of the embodiments as discussed above. Furthermore, it should be understood that, according to one aspect, one or more computer programs that, when executed, perform the methods of the present invention need not reside on a single computer or processor, but may be modularly distributed among different computers or processors to implement various aspects of the present invention.

[0251] Thus, in some embodiments, the techniques described herein may be embodied in computer-executable instructions implemented in software, including application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or any other suitable type of computer code. Such computer-executable instructions may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages ​​and / or programming or scripting tools, and may be compiled as executable machine code or intermediate code that runs on a framework or virtual machine.

[0252] Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Typically, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

[0253] Various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, examples of which have been provided. The acts performed as part of any method described herein may be ordered in any suitable manner. Thus, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in a different order than shown, which may include performing some acts simultaneously even though shown as sequential acts in the example embodiments.

[0254] All definitions defined and used herein should be understood to govern dictionary definitions and / or the ordinary meaning of the defined terms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Terms used herein should be interpreted to have a meaning appropriate to the meaning of those terms in the context of this specification and related art, and it is further understood that they should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly conventional sense unless expressly defined as such herein.

[0255] Although terms such as "first," "second," and the like may be used herein to describe various elements, it will be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element could be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0256] As used herein, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" should be understood to mean "at least one," unless clearly indicated otherwise.

[0257] As used herein, the phrase "at least one," in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element explicitly listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows for elements other than those explicitly identified in the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to the elements explicitly identified.

[0258] As used herein, the phrase "and / or" should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so coordinated, i.e., elements present conjunctively in some cases and disjunctively in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so coordinated. Other elements other than the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to the elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to "A and / or B," when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising," may refer in one embodiment to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment to both A and B (optionally including other elements); and so forth.

[0259] As used herein, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be construed as inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one—but also including more than one—of several elements or lists of elements, and, optionally, further unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated otherwise, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of," shall refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of several elements or lists of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein shall be construed to indicate exclusive alternatives (i.e., "either / or, but not both") only when followed by exclusive terms, such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of."

[0260] The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof, is intended to encompass the items listed thereafter and additional items.

[0261] Any embodiment or example disclosed herein may be combined with any other embodiment in any manner that meets at least one of the objectives, goals, and needs disclosed herein, and references to "embodiments," "some embodiments," "alternative embodiments," "various embodiments," "one embodiment," etc. are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Appearances of such terms herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0262] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but rather, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. The embodiments disclosed in the drawings and specification are for purposes of illustration only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the inventive concepts being indicated in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0263] 100 Computer Systems, Systems 102 Computer systems and devices 104 Rating Server 106 Data Storage Devices 108 memory 110 Processing circuit, processor device 112 Evaluation and Assessment Tools, Assessment Tools 114 Assessment User Interface, Assessment UI 116 Valuation Time Series Data 118 First Assessment Time Series Data 120 Second Assessment Time Series Data 122 UI, filter-based UI 124 Profile Records, Profile Records Storage 126a, 126b Wearer Profile Record 128 Wearer Identifier 130 Profile Groups 132 Metadata 134 Profile Group Table 135 Nursing care system settings 136 Profile Group Records 137 Care System Identifier (CSID) 138 Profile Groups 139 Rating Settings 140 Indications 142 Indications 144 Processing circuits, processor devices, processors 145 User Account Manager 146 memory 147 Product Data Storage 148 Assessment time series data analysis server 200, 200a Computer-Implemented Method or Process 400 Methods and Processes 500 Computer-Implemented Methods or Processes 602 Wearer ID field 604 Date Fields 605 Stage Field 606 Time Field 607 Features 608 User ID field 610 Assessment Parameter Field or Panel 612 First parameter P1 613 Interactive Fields 614 Second parameter P2 616 nth parameter Pn 620 Appraisal UI Icon 622 Product Type Field 624 Product Replacement Event Fields 626 Submit button 628 Submit button 630 Nursing care system setting UI icon 640 Rating Settings UI Icon 642 Rating Settings UI 650 Evaluation Result UI Icon 702 Selection section, selection panel 704 Profile Group Filter Field 706 Nursing Care System Filter Field 708 Ward Filter Field 709 Evaluation Parameter Filter Field 712 Expression section, expression panel 714 First Computer Representation 715 First Icon 716 Second Computer Representation 717 Second Icon 718 Third Computer Representation 720 Computer Representation 721 First Icon 723 Second Icon, Graphical View 800 Filter-based UI 802 Selection section, selection panel 803 Product Indication Panel 805 Icons, Computer Representations 807 Icon 812 Expression section, expression panel 815 Information Panel 900 Filter-based UI 902 Selection or Panel 903 Product Indication Panel 912 Expression section, expression panel 914 Evaluation parameter selection field 916 Input Fields 1000 Input and Output Interfaces 1002 receiving unit 1004 units acquired 1006 Transmitting Unit 1008 generating units 1080 Computer Program Products 1090 Computer-readable storage medium 1100 Input and Output Interfaces 1102 Generating Unit 1104 receiving unit 1106 Acquired Units 1108 Generating Unit 1180 Computer Program Products 1190 Computer-readable storage medium

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method (500) executed by at least one processor (144) of a ratings server (104), the ratings server (104) comprising: For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: receiving (502) first assessment time series data relating to a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during a first assessment period; receiving (506) second assessment time series data during a second assessment period relating to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; and receiving (508) a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer; the first assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of a first assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of a second assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products; the first process of use comprises a plurality of first steps, and the second process of use comprises a plurality of second steps; receiving (508), for each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step; and responsive to receiving the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data and receiving the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, generating (510) values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters indicate a comparison between a first plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of the first process of use of the first set and a second plurality of evaluation parameters associated with a computer-generated evaluation of the second process of use of the second set.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters indicate a ratio between the first plurality of evaluation parameters and the second plurality of evaluation parameters.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a step (504) of receiving sensor data acquired from a test incontinence product after receiving the first assessment time-series data, wherein the test incontinence product is used by the wearer during an information collection period, and the test incontinence product includes a wireless sensor configured to measure the excretion activity of the wearer using the test incontinence product, and configured to send the measured test excretion data to the evaluation server, as the sensor data.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second set of one or more incontinence products is selected based on the sensor data obtained from the test incontinence product.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data are received via an assessment user interface (114) of an assessment tool (112).

7. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first assessment period and the second assessment period have the same duration.

8. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of instructing (516) the rendering of a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters on a user interface.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises a filter-based user interface including a user-selectable filter field for selecting at least one or more profile groups from the plurality of profile groups.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the filter-based user interface is configured to present a computer representation of one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters corresponding to one or more selected profile groups in response to receiving user input via the user-selectable filter field.

11. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer representation of the one or more values ​​of the plurality of evaluation parameters comprises a first icon representing a corresponding evaluation parameter from the plurality of evaluation parameters, and a second icon associated with the first icon and representing a value of the corresponding evaluation parameter.

12. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the wearer is assigned to the profile group from the plurality of profile groups based on at least the wearer's excretion pattern, the wearer's mobility, and the wearer's cognitive ability.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first assessment time series data includes one or more of skin assessments, changes of the first set of incontinence products, feces in the first set of incontinence products, toilet visits, cleansing and protection events, occurrence of urinary incontinence, clothing change events, linen change events, application of the first set of daytime incontinence products, and application of the first set of nighttime incontinence products.

14. 14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the second assessment time series data includes one or more of skin assessments, changes of the second set of incontinence products, feces in the second set of incontinence products, toilet visits, cleansing and protection events, occurrence of urinary incontinence, clothing change events, linen change events, application of the second set of daytime incontinence products, and application of the second set of nighttime incontinence products.

15. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first assessment parameter related to the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products and the second assessment parameter related to the wearer's use of the second set of one or more incontinence products are the same parameter.

16. 16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising the step (515) of automatically sending to an external computer a request for a specific amount of the second set of incontinence products to be delivered to the care system when the value of at least one of the plurality of evaluation parameters reaches or exceeds a threshold value.

17. 17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising the step of automatically generating (512) a recommendation to the care system regarding the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products.

18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the recommendation includes a recommendation of a modification to at least one step from the plurality of second steps of the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products.

19. 19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommendation of a modification to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

20. 20. The method of any one of claims 1 to 19, further comprising the step of generating (514) an indication to the care system, the indication recommending that the care system use the second set of incontinence products.

21. 17. The method of any one of claims 4 to 16, further comprising automatically generating recommendations to the care system regarding the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the recommendation includes a recommendation of a modification to at least one step from the plurality of second steps of the second process of use of the second set of one or more incontinence products.

23. 23. The method of claim 21 or 22, wherein the recommendation comprises a recommendation of a modification to the configuration of the second set of incontinence products.

24. 24. A method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the recommendation to the care system is generated using the sensor data obtained from the test incontinence product.

25. 25. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause said at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. 25. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 24.

27. An assessment server (104) including at least one processor (144), said at least one processor (144) comprising: For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: receiving first assessment time-series data relating to a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during a first assessment period; receiving second assessment time series data during a second assessment period regarding a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; and receiving a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer; the first assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of a first assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of a second assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products; the first process of use comprises a plurality of first steps, and the second process of use comprises a plurality of second steps; receiving, for each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step; and an evaluation server (104) configured to receive the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data, and in response to receiving the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, generate values ​​for a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

28. 28. The assessment server (104) of claim 27, wherein said at least one processor (144) is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 2 to 24.

29. 29. The assessment server (104) of claim 27 or 28, wherein the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data are received from a computing device (102).

30. A system (100) including a computing device (102) and an assessment server (104), wherein the assessment server (104) For each wearer from a plurality of wearers in a care system: receiving first assessment time-series data relating to a first process of use of a first set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer during a first assessment period; receiving, during a second assessment period, second assessment time series data relating to a second process of use of a second set of one or more incontinence products worn by the wearer; receiving a wearer profile record being created for the wearer, the wearer profile record indicating a profile group from a plurality of profile groups to which the wearer is assigned and metadata associated with the wearer; the first assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of a first assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of the first set of one or more incontinence products, and the second assessment time series data includes assessment values ​​of a second assessment parameter associated with the wearer's use of the second set of incontinence products; the first process of use comprises a plurality of first steps, and the second process of use comprises a plurality of second steps; receiving, for each profile group from a plurality of profile groups, a step from the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps associated with an estimated duration required to perform the step; and A system (100) including at least one processor (144) configured to receive the first assessment time series data and the second assessment time series data, and in response to receiving the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers, generate values ​​of a plurality of evaluation parameters indicative of a comparison between the first process of use and the second process of use based on processing the first assessment time series data, the second assessment time series data, and the wearer profile record for each wearer from the plurality of wearers.

31. 31. The system (100) of claim 30, wherein the at least one processor (144) of the assessment server (104) is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 2 to 24.

Images