Programs, computers, and information processing methods

Abstract

This invention provides a new program, computer, and information processing method that enables patient referrals between healthcare institutions. [Solution] The program causes the computer 10 to function as a registration information receiving means 121, a medical institution registration means 122, a referral information receiving means 123, a medical institution evaluation means 124, a search information receiving means 125, and a search result output means 126. The registration information receiving means 121 receives registration information of medical institutions, the medical institution registration means 122 registers medical institutions based on the received registration information, the referral information receiving means 123 receives referral information from patients, the medical institution evaluation means 124 modifies the evaluation of registered medical institutions and stores it in the storage unit 11, and when the search information receiving means 125 receives search information for referrals to medical institutions, the search result output means 126 outputs information on candidate medical institutions to which referrals should be made based on the medical institution evaluation information.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a program, a computer, and an information processing method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various medical institution search systems are known that allow those who wish to receive medical treatment at a medical institution due to troubles such as injuries or illnesses to search for medical institutions and make reservations for the searched medical institutions (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In the program disclosed herein, The aforementioned registration information receiving means also accepts the location information of the medical institution as registration information of the medical institution, and the aforementioned medical institution registration means includes the location information of the medical institution in the registration information when registering the medical institution. The search result output means may also refer to at least one of the following: location information included in the medical institution's registration information, the patient's address, and the patient's registration information, which includes a location the patient wishes to register: to output information on candidate medical institutions to which the patient may be referred.

[0008] In the program disclosed herein, When the aforementioned medical institution evaluation means changes the evaluation of a medical institution, it may also refer to the relative positional relationship between the location of the referring medical institution and the location of the referring medical institution, or the relative positional relationship between the patient's registered information, including the patient's address and the location the patient wishes to register, and the location of the referring medical institution, when changing the evaluation of the medical institution.

[0009] In the program disclosed herein, The aforementioned medical institution evaluation method may be configured to change the evaluation of the medical institution if the medical personnel working at the medical institution are referred to a medical institution outside the framework of the university and medical department from which they graduated.

[0010] In the program disclosed herein, The aforementioned registration information receiving means also accepts information on the medical department as registration information of the medical institution, and the aforementioned medical institution registration means includes information on the medical department of the medical institution in the registration information when registering the medical institution. The patient referral information received by the aforementioned referral information receiving means includes information on the medical department, and the aforementioned medical institution evaluation means performs an evaluation for each medical department of the medical institution. When the search information receiving means receives search information for medical institution referrals, it also receives information about the medical departments, and the search result output means may output the information about the medical departments of the medical institutions as candidates for referral destinations.

[0011] In the program disclosed herein, The search result output means may also transmit a display instruction signal to the terminal that sent the search information for the medical institution referral, which was received by the search information receiving means, to display the information of the candidate medical institutions that have been output.

[0012] In the program disclosed herein, The display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means to the terminal may further display an inquiry instruction on the terminal to ask the referred medical institution whether to accept the patient.

[0013] In the program disclosed herein, The display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means to the terminal may further display on the terminal information regarding available hospital beds at the referred medical institution, as well as candidate information for outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates.

[0014] In the program disclosed herein, The aforementioned computer is further made to function as a means of granting benefits, When the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information indicating that a patient will be referred to one of the candidate medical institutions to which the search result output means has output, the reward granting means may grant a reward to at least one of the medical institutions, either the referring medical institution or the receiving medical institution.

[0015] In the program disclosed herein, When the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information indicating that a patient will be referred to a candidate medical institution output by the search result output means, the medical institution evaluation means may, when changing the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions, either the referring medical institution or the receiving medical institution, evaluate the medical institution in a manner different from when the referral information receiving means received patient referral information if the search result output means had not output any candidate medical institutions.

[0016] The computer disclosed herein is A computer that functions as a registration information receiving means, a medical institution registration means, a referral information receiving means, a medical institution evaluation means, a search information receiving means, and a search result output means by executing a program in the control unit, When the registration information receiving means receives registration information of a medical institution, the medical institution registration means registers the medical institution based on the received registration information of the medical institution. When the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information that includes at least one of the information of the referring medical institution and the information of the referring medical institution, the medical institution evaluation means changes the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions and the referring medical institution from among the registered medical institutions, and stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal or external storage of the computer. When the search information receiving means receives search information for a referral to a medical institution, the search result output means outputs information on candidate medical institutions to which the referral should be made, based on the medical institution evaluation information stored in the storage unit.

[0017] The information processing method of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a computer having a control unit, when the control unit receives registration information of a medical institution, a step in which the control unit performs registration of the medical institution based on the received registration information of the medical institution; when the control unit receives referral information of a patient including at least any one of information of a referring medical institution and information of a referred medical institution, the control unit changes the evaluation of at least any one of the referring medical institution and the referred medical institution among the registered medical institutions, and stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in a storage unit inside or outside the computer by the control unit; when the control unit receives search information for referral of a medical institution, a step in which the control unit outputs information on candidates for the referred medical institution based on the medical institution evaluation information stored in the storage unit; and includes.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the program, computer, and information processing method of the present disclosure, patients can be referred between medical institutions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] In the flowchart of the system according to the present embodiment, it is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution information collection step. [Figure 4] In the flowchart of the system according to the present embodiment, it is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution registration step. [Figure 5] In the flowchart of the system according to the present embodiment, it is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution evaluation step. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the processing steps for searching for medical institutions in the system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] The system 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 6 are diagrams showing the system according to this embodiment. Of these, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the system according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the system according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution information collection process in the flowchart of the system according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution registration process in the flowchart of the system according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution evaluation process in the flowchart of the system according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of the medical institution search process in the flowchart of the system according to this embodiment.

[0021] —System 1— Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of System 1 according to this embodiment. System 1 according to this embodiment comprises a management server (computer 10), a referring medical institution terminal 20, and a referring medical institution terminal 30. For example, computer 10 is connected to the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the referring medical institution terminal 30 so as to be able to communicate with each other. Furthermore, these referring medical institution terminal 20, referring medical institution terminal 30, and computer 10 may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network such as an internet line. Each component of such System 1 will be described below.

[0022] <Configuration of Computer 10> Computer 10 is a management server that can be used via a communication network, such as an internet connection. Computer 10 may also be provided as a virtual dedicated server built within a physical server accessible via the internet. Computer 10 has a storage unit 11, a control unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 12 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU and semiconductor memory, and controls the operation of computer 10. More specifically, by executing programs stored in the storage unit 11, the control unit 12 functions as a medical institution information collection means 120, a registration information reception means 121, a medical institution registration means 122, a referral information reception means 123, a medical institution evaluation means 124, a search information reception means 125, a search result output means 126, and a benefit granting means 127, thereby enabling computer 10 to perform its functions.

[0023] The medical institution information collection method 120 collects information on medical institutions from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website, the websites of individual medical institutions, etc., including the name of the medical institution, address, location information such as latitude and longitude, information on medical departments, available specialized outpatient clinics, affiliated specialists, universities of origin of specialists, physician profile information including at least one of the physician's profile and achievements, administrator information, and consultation hours.

[0024] The registration information receiving means 121 receives registration information from the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30. The registration information of a medical institution includes information about the medical institution such as the name of the referring medical institution (clinic, nursing home, hospital, etc.), the name of the receiving medical institution (clinic, nursing home, hospital, etc.), the location information of the medical institution, the names of the universities from which the medical staff working at the medical institution graduated, and the names of the medical departments (medical department information).

[0025] The medical institution registration means 122 registers medical institutions based on the registration information of medical institutions received by the registration information receiving means 121. For example, the medical institution registration means 122 stores in the storage unit 11 the name of the referring medical institution, the name of the referring medical institution including various clinic names, the location information of the medical institution, the names of the universities from which the medical staff working at the medical institution graduated, the names of the medical departments, etc., which are included in the registration information of medical institutions received by the registration information receiving means 121. At this time, the medical institution registration means 122 compares the registration information of medical institutions received from the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the referring medical institution terminal 30 with the information collected by the medical institution information collection means 120 and adds any missing information. The medical institution registration means 122 also issues an account for the registered medical institution. An account may include, for example, a user ID and a password. The medical institution registration means 122 also adds the account information to the medical institution information database, which is the storage unit 11.

[0026] The referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information from terminals of medical institutions, such as the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30, and includes information from at least one of the referring medical institution and the receiving medical institution. The information of the referring medical institution is information about the medical institution that refers the patient to the medical institution, and includes the name of the medical institution that refers the patient, the name of the receiving medical institution including various clinic names, the location information of the medical institution that refers the patient, the name of the university from which the medical staff working at the medical institution that refers the patient graduated, physician referral information including at least one of the physician's profile and achievements, the name of the medical department (medical department information), etc. The information of the receiving medical institution is information about the medical institution that was referred by the referring medical institution, and includes the name of the medical institution to which the patient was referred, the name of the receiving medical institution including various clinic names, the location information of the medical institution to which the patient was referred, the name of the university from which the medical staff working at the medical institution that referred the patient graduated, physician referral information including at least one of the physician's profile and achievements, the name of the medical department, etc.

[0027] When the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information from a medical institution's terminal, including information on at least one of the referring medical institution and information on the receiving medical institution, the medical institution evaluation means 124 stores the received patient referral information in the storage unit 11 as patient referral performance information. The medical institution evaluation means 124 also changes the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions from among the registered medical institutions. For example, the medical institution evaluation means 124 increases the evaluation of a medical institution the more referrals the referring medical institution and the receiving medical institution receive. Conversely, the medical institution evaluation decreases the fewer referrals the referring medical institution and the receiving medical institution receive. The medical institution evaluation means 124 also stores the changed evaluation of a medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the storage unit 11 inside the computer 10. Alternatively, the medical institution evaluation means 124 stores the changed evaluation of a medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in an external storage unit of the computer 10.

[0028] Furthermore, if the location information of a medical institution is included in the registration information of the medical institution, the medical institution evaluation means 124 also refers to the relative positional relationship between the location of the referring medical institution and the location of the referring medical institution and modifies the evaluation of the medical institution. For example, if the search results show that multiple locations of referring medical institutions and referring medical institutions are found, the medical institution evaluation means 124 calculates the straight-line distance or transportation route distance between each referring medical institution and the referring medical institution, compares the magnitude of the distance (relative positional relationship) between each referring medical institution and the referring medical institution, and assigns a higher evaluation to medical institutions in order of decreasing distance between them. Furthermore, if multiple referral medical institutions are found as a result of the search, the medical institution evaluation means 124 calculates the straight-line distance or transportation route distance between the location specified in the patient's registration information, such as the patient's address, the location the patient wishes to register (including the workplace), and the referral medical institution. It then compares the magnitude of the distance (relative positional relationship) between each of the patient's locations (address, location, etc.) and the referral medical institution, and assigns a higher evaluation to medical institutions in order of decreasing distance. The medical institution evaluation means 124 also stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal storage unit 11 of the computer 10. Alternatively, the medical institution evaluation means 124 stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in an external storage unit of the computer 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the medical institution evaluation method 124 modifies the evaluation of the referring medical institution when a patient is referred to a medical institution outside the framework of the university and medical department from which the medical staff working at the medical institution originated. For example, when a patient is referred to a medical institution outside the framework of the university and medical department from which the medical staff working at the medical institution originated, the medical institution evaluation method 124 uses the fact that the patient was deliberately referred to a medical institution outside the framework as an indicator to increase the evaluation of the referring medical institution, and evaluates the referring medical institution as having a high evaluation.

[0030] Furthermore, the medical institution evaluation means 124 performs evaluations for each medical department of the medical institution. For example, the medical institution evaluation means 124 increases the evaluation of a medical institution the more referrals each department of the referring medical institution and each referral each department of the referring medical institution have. On the other hand, the medical institution evaluation decreases the less referrals each department of the referring medical institution and each referral each department of the referring medical institution have. The medical institution evaluation means 124 also stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal storage unit 11 of the computer 10. Alternatively, the medical institution evaluation means 124 stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in an external storage unit of the computer 10.

[0031] Furthermore, the medical institution evaluation means 124 evaluates medical institutions based on the number of referrals received for each patient disease. For example, the medical institution evaluation means 124 calculates the number of referrals for each department of the referring medical institution and the number of referrals for each patient disease at the referring medical institution, and the more diseases of patients referred, the higher the medical institution's evaluation. On the other hand, it calculates the number of referrals for each department of the referring medical institution and the number of referrals for each patient disease at the referring medical institution, and the fewer diseases of patients referred, the lower the medical institution's evaluation. The medical institution evaluation means 124 also stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal storage unit 11 of the computer 10. Alternatively, the medical institution evaluation means 124 stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in an external storage unit of the computer 10.

[0032] Furthermore, when the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information indicating that a patient will be referred to a candidate medical institution output by the search result output means 126, the medical institution evaluation means 124, when changing the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions, either the referring medical institution or the receiving medical institution, evaluates the medical institution in a different manner than when the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information if the search result output means 126 has not output any candidate medical institutions. Specifically, the medical institution evaluation means 124 increases the evaluation of both the referring and receiving medical institutions when a patient is actually referred to a medical institution using System 1, compared to when the search result output means 126 has not output any candidate medical institutions, i.e., when System 1 is not used. As an increase in evaluation, methods such as awarding points that allow the patient to receive some kind of preferential treatment compared to when the patient is referred to a medical institution without using System 1 are used.

[0033] The search information receiving means 125 receives search information for referrals to medical institutions. Specifically, the search information receiving means 125 receives search information for at least one of the referring medical institutions and the receiving medical institution, including the name of the referring medical institution, the name of the receiving medical institution including various clinic names, the location information of the medical institution, the names of the universities from which the medical staff working at the medical institution graduated, and the names of the medical departments.

[0034] Furthermore, the search information receiving means 125 also accepts information about the medical department when receiving search information for medical institution introductions.

[0035] The search result output means 126 outputs information on candidate medical institutions to refer patients to, based on the search information received by the search information receiving means 125 and the medical institution evaluation information stored in the storage unit 11. Specifically, the search result output means 126 searches the medical institution evaluation information for information identical to each piece of information included in the search information, and outputs information on candidate medical institutions to refer patients to, in order of the number of matching pieces of information.

[0036] Furthermore, if the location information of a medical institution is included in the registration information of the medical institution, the search result output means 126 refers to at least one of the location information included in the registration information of the medical institution, as well as the patient's registration information such as the patient's address, the location the patient wishes to register (including the workplace), and outputs information on candidate medical institutions to be referred to. At this time, the search result output means 126 searches for information identical to each piece of information included in the search information from the medical institution evaluation information, calculates the straight-line distance or the length of the transportation route to the location information included in the registration information of the medical institution, the patient's address, the location the patient wishes to register (including the workplace), and other patient registration information, and outputs information on candidate medical institutions to be referred to in order of the amount of matching information, and in order of the shortest straight-line distance or the shortest transportation route to the location information included in the registration information of the medical institution, the patient's address, the location the patient wishes to register (including the workplace), and other patient registration information.

[0037] Furthermore, the search result output means 126, on the condition that it has received information on the medical department when it receives search information for a referral to a medical institution, outputs information on candidate medical departments of medical institutions as candidates for referral destinations. Specifically, the search result output means 126 searches for information identical to the medical department information included in the search information from the medical institution evaluation information, and as a result of the search, outputs information on candidate medical institutions for referral destinations in order of the number of matching medical departments.

[0038] Furthermore, the search result output means 126 transmits a display instruction signal to the terminal so that the terminal that received the search information for the medical institution referral, which was received by the search information receiving means 125, will display the information of the candidate medical institutions to which the patient is referred.Here, the display instruction signal that the search result output means 126 transmits to the terminal further displays an inquiry instruction on the terminal to inquire about the acceptance of the patient to the referred medical institution.For example, to further display an inquiry instruction on the terminal to inquire about the acceptance of the patient to the referred medical institution, an inquiry instruction button is displayed.By pressing the inquiry instruction button, support is provided for inquiring about the acceptance of the patient to the referred medical institution.In addition, the display signal of the inquiry instruction button is linked to information on available hospital beds and candidate information for outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates, and information on available hospital beds and candidate information for outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates can also be displayed.The candidate information for outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates includes information on appointment slots including days and time slots when hospital beds are available, and information on appointment slots including one or more preferred appointment dates and times.

[0039] Furthermore, the display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means 126 to the terminal causes the terminal to display information on available hospital beds, outpatient appointment slots, and candidate appointment dates for the referred medical institution.

[0040] The reward granting means 127 grants rewards to medical institutions. When the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information indicating that a patient will be referred to a candidate medical institution output by the search result outputting means 126, the reward granting means 127 grants rewards to at least one of the medical institutions, either the referring medical institution or the referred medical institution. The rewards granted to medical institutions are points or other forms of preferential treatment.

[0041] This configuration of System 1 allows for more effective patient referrals between hospitals and also provides incentives for using System 1.

[0042] The program executed by the control unit 12 is not limited to those stored in the storage unit 11. The program executed by the control unit 12 may be one transmitted to the control unit 12 from an external device via the communication unit 13, one stored on a storage medium such as a USB memory attached to the computer 10, or one stored on a computer other than the computer 10 (for example, a cloud server).

[0043] The storage unit 11 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The storage unit 11 stores various programs, including programs executed by the control unit 12.

[0044] The communication unit 13 is, for example, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) module, a wireless LAN module, etc., and includes an interface for wired or wireless communication. In other words, the communication unit 13 consists of a communication interface configured to communicate with the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30 via a communication network. The communication unit 13 also transmits display instruction signals to the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30 so that the outputted information is displayed on the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30.

[0045] <Referring medical institution terminal 20 and referring medical institution terminal 30> The referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30 each have a network interface, control unit, touch panel, display unit, camera, memory unit, etc. The network interface, touch panel, display unit, camera, memory unit, etc. are electrically connected to the control unit via a bus or the like.

[0046] The referring medical institution terminal 20 is a terminal used in relatively large medical institutions with a predetermined number of hospital beds. The referring medical institution terminal 20 can access computer 10 by using a login ID and password.

[0047] Furthermore, the terminal 30 of the referring medical institution is a terminal used in medical institutions that do not have a predetermined number of hospital beds. The terminal 30 of the referring medical institution can access computer 10 by using a login ID and password.

[0048] Using the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30, the operator sends patient referral information to the computer 10. At this time, the DPC code associated with each patient is sent to the computer 10 along with information that a referral has been made and information related to medical treatment. The patient referral information includes the referring medical institution, the receiving medical institution, the patient's age, gender, underlying medical conditions and other attribute information, the patient's symptoms, information on the department of the receiving medical institution, information on the receiving physician, information on the referring physician, and the DPC (Diagnosis Procedure Combination) code.

[0049] Next, the information processing flow of System 1 will be explained with reference to the diagram. The operation of System 1 shown below is performed by the control unit 12 in the computer 10 executing a program stored in the storage unit 11. As shown in Figure 2, System 1 follows the following steps: medical institution information collection process, medical institution registration process, medical institution evaluation process, and medical institution search process.

[0050] -Medical Institution Information Gathering Process- As shown in Figure 3, the medical institution information collection means 120 first collects information about medical institutions from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website, the websites of individual medical institutions, etc., including the name of the medical institution, address, location information such as latitude and longitude, information on medical departments, available specialized outpatient clinics, affiliated specialists, the universities from which the specialists graduated, physician profile information including at least one of the physician's profile and achievements, administrator information, and consultation hours (step S10). In this way, the medical institution information collection means 120 obtains various information about medical institutions.

[0051] -Medical institution registration process- Next, the registration information receiving means 121 receives registration information of medical institutions from the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the referring medical institution terminal 30. Then, as shown in Figure 4, the medical institution registration means 122 issues an account for the registered medical institution and adds the account information to the medical institution information database (step S20). At this time, the medical institution registration means 122 compares the registration information of medical institutions received from the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the referring medical institution terminal 30 with the information collected by the medical institution information collection means 120 and adds any missing information.

[0052] -Medical Institution Evaluation Process- Next, as shown in Figure 5, patient referral information, including information from at least one of the referring medical institution and the referring medical institution, is sent from the terminals of the medical institutions, such as the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the referring medical institution terminal 30, to the computer 10 (step S30). When the patient referral information is sent to the computer 10, the referral information receiving means 123 receives the patient referral information. When the referral information receiving means 123 receives the patient referral information, it stores the received patient referral information as patient referral performance information in the storage unit 11 and changes the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institution and the referring medical institution among the registered medical institutions (step S40).

[0053] -Medical institution search process- Here, as shown in Figure 6, when a search for a referral medical institution is performed from the terminals of medical institutions, such as the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the receiving medical institution terminal 30, the search information is sent to the computer 10 (step S50). The search information sent to the computer 10 is received by the search information receiving means 125. Next, the search result output means 126 outputs information on one or more candidate referral medical institutions or doctors based on the search information received by the search information receiving means 125 and the medical institution evaluation information stored in the storage unit 11 (step S60). When outputting information on multiple candidate referral medical institutions or doctors, the search result output means 126 outputs each piece of information in order of priority.

[0054] Next, the search result output means 126 sends display instruction signals to the referring medical institution terminal 20 and the referring medical institution terminal 30, which are the terminals that sent the referral search information received by the search information receiving means 125, to display the outputted information of the candidate medical institutions or doctors to be referred to (step S70). At this time, an inquiry instruction button is also displayed to further display an inquiry instruction on the terminal to inquire about the acceptance of the patient at the outputted referring medical institution.

[0055] When a patient is actually referred to one of the candidate medical institutions presented by System 1, the patient referral record information is stored in the storage unit 11, and the medical institution evaluation means 124 changes the evaluation of at least one of the medical institutions, either the referring medical institution or the receiving medical institution, from among the registered medical institutions (step S80). Furthermore, when the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information indicating that a patient has been referred to a candidate medical institution that has been output by the search result output means 126, the reward granting means 127 grants a reward to at least one of the referring medical institutions or the receiving medical institution as an incentive for the patient referral being made using System 1.

[0056] According to System 1 of this embodiment, which has the configuration described above, the program is a program that causes the computer 10 to function as a registration information receiving means 121, a medical institution registration means 122, a referral information receiving means 123, a medical institution evaluation means 124, a search information receiving means 125, and a search result output means 126. When the registration information receiving means 121 receives registration information of a medical institution, the medical institution registration means 122 registers the medical institution based on the received registration information of the medical institution. When the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information that includes information on at least one of the referring medical institution and the referring medical institution, the medical institution evaluation means 124 changes the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institution and the referring medical institution among the registered medical institutions, and stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal or external storage unit 11 of the computer 10. When the search information receiving means 125 receives search information for a referral of a medical institution, the search result output means 126 outputs information on candidate referring medical institutions based on the medical institution evaluation information stored in the storage unit 11. To explain in more detail, various medical search systems have been known for a long time, allowing individuals seeking medical treatment due to injury, illness, or other problems to search for medical institutions and make reservations at those institutions. However, while systems for individuals to search for medical institutions have existed for a long time, there has been no system for referring patients between medical institutions, such as a referring medical institution and a receiving medical institution. Therefore, the above configuration makes it possible to refer patients between medical institutions more effectively and also provides an incentive for using System 1.

[0057] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the registration information receiving means 121 also accepts location information of medical institutions as registration information of medical institutions, the medical institution registration means 122 includes location information of medical institutions in the registration information when registering medical institutions, and the search result output means 126 may output information on candidate medical institutions to be referred to by referring to at least one of the location information included in the registration information of medical institutions and the patient's address and the patient's registration information which includes the location where the patient wishes to register. In this case, medical institutions can be searched by referring to the location information of the medical institution or the patient's address and the patient's registration information which includes the location where the patient wishes to register.

[0058] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, when the medical institution evaluation means 124 changes the evaluation of a medical institution, it may also refer to the relative positional relationship between the location of the referring medical institution and the location of the receiving medical institution, or the relative positional relationship between the patient's registration information, including the patient's address and the location the patient wishes to register, and the location of the receiving medical institution, in order to change the evaluation of the medical institution. In this case, the evaluation of the medical institution can be changed based on the distance between the referring and receiving medical institutions.

[0059] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the medical institution evaluation means 124 may be configured to change the evaluation of a medical institution when a patient is referred to a medical institution outside the framework of the university and medical department from which the medical personnel working at the medical institution originated. In this case, the evaluation of a medical institution can be changed when a patient is referred to a medical institution outside the framework of the medical institution and medical department.

[0060] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the registration information receiving means 121 accepts information on the medical department as registration information of medical institutions, the medical institution registration means 122 includes information on the medical department of the medical institution in the registration information when registering a medical institution, the referral information receiving means 123 includes information on the medical department in the patient referral information it receives, the medical institution evaluation means 124 performs an evaluation for each medical department of the medical institution, and when the search information receiving means 125 accepts search information for referrals of medical institutions, it also accepts information on the medical department, and the search result output means 126 outputs information on the medical department of the medical institution as a candidate medical institution to refer to. In this case, the evaluation of medical institutions can be performed for each medical department.

[0061] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the search result output means 126 may send a display instruction signal to the terminal so that the terminal that sent the search information for medical institution referrals received by the search information receiving means 125 displays the information of the candidate medical institutions that have been output. In this case, the terminal can output the search results for medical institutions.

[0062] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means 126 to the terminal may further display an inquiry instruction on the terminal to inquire about the acceptance of the patient at the referred medical institution. In this case, an inquiry instruction button, for example, can be displayed to inquire about the acceptance of the patient at the referred medical institution.

[0063] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means 126 to the terminal may also cause the terminal to further display information on available hospital beds and candidate outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates for the referred medical institution. In this case, the information on available hospital beds and candidate outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates can also be displayed on the transmitting terminal.

[0064] Furthermore, in the program according to this embodiment, as described above, the computer 10 may also function as a reward granting means 127. When the referral information receiving means 123 receives patient referral information indicating that a patient will be referred to a candidate medical institution output by the search result output means 126, the reward granting means 127 may grant a reward to at least one of the referring medical institution and the referred medical institution. In this case, when a patient is actually referred to a medical institution presented by System 1, a reward can be granted to at least one of the referring medical institution and the referred medical institution.

[0065] Furthermore, the program, computer 10, and information processing method relating to this disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways.

[0066] In this embodiment, the medical institution evaluation means 124 is described as evaluating medical institutions in order of decreasing distance between the location of the referring medical institution and the location of the referring medical institution, when the location information of the medical institution is included in the medical institution's registration information, and also evaluating medical institutions in order of decreasing distance between the location defined in the patient's registration information, including the patient's address, the location the patient wishes to register, and the location of the referring medical institution. However, it is not limited to these examples. For example, if other information is given more importance, the medical institution evaluation means 124 may evaluate medical institutions in order of decreasing distance between the location of the referring medical institution and the location of the referring medical institution, and may also evaluate medical institutions in order of decreasing distance between the location defined in the patient's registration information, including the patient's address, the location the patient wishes to register, and the location of the referring medical institution.

[0067] Furthermore, the medical institution evaluation means 124 can also change the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions, including evaluations from patients who have received treatment through referrals. For example, the medical institution evaluation means 124 may use high evaluations from patients who have received treatment through referrals regarding at least one of the referring medical institutions as an indicator to increase the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions, thereby evaluating at least one of the referring medical institutions as having a high evaluation. On the other hand, the medical institution evaluation means 124 may use low evaluations from patients who have received treatment through referrals regarding at least one of the referring medical institutions as an indicator to decrease the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions, thereby evaluating at least one of the referring medical institutions as having a low evaluation.

[0068] Furthermore, if System 1 is available on the referring medical institution's terminal 20, it is not necessary for System 1 to be available on the receiving medical institution's terminal 30. In this case, even if System 1 is not available on the receiving medical institution's terminal 30, it is still possible to make a reservation at the medical institution using the outpatient appointment slots and candidate appointment date information. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1: System 10: Computer 11: Storage section 12: Control Unit 13: Communications Department 20: Referral medical institution terminal 30: Referral medical institution terminal 120: Means of collecting information on medical institutions 121: Method for receiving registration information 122: Methods for registering medical institutions 123: Referral Information Reception Method 124: Evaluation methods for medical institutions 125: Search Information Reception Method 126: Search result output means 127: Method of granting benefits

Claims

1. A program that causes a computer to function as a means for receiving registration information, a means for registering medical institutions, a means for receiving referral information, a means for evaluating medical institutions, a means for receiving search information, and a means for outputting search results, When the registration information receiving means receives registration information of a medical institution, the medical institution registration means registers the medical institution based on the received registration information of the medical institution. When the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information that includes at least one of the information of the referring medical institution and the information of the referring medical institution, the medical institution evaluation means changes the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions and the referring medical institution from among the registered medical institutions, and stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal or external storage of the computer. When the search information receiving means receives search information for a referral to a medical institution, the search result output means outputs information on candidate medical institutions to be referred to, based on the medical institution evaluation information stored in the memory unit.

2. The aforementioned registration information receiving means also accepts the location information of the medical institution as registration information of the medical institution, and the aforementioned medical institution registration means includes the location information of the medical institution in the registration information when registering the medical institution. The program according to claim 1, wherein the search result output means outputs information on candidate medical institutions to which the patient may be referred, by referring to at least one of the location information included in the medical institution's registration information, the patient's address, and the patient's registration information including a location that the patient wishes to register.

3. The program according to claim 2, wherein when the medical institution evaluation means changes the evaluation of a medical institution, it also refers to the relative positional relationship between the location of the referring medical institution and the location of the referring medical institution, or the relative positional relationship between the patient's registered information, including the patient's address and the location the patient wishes to register, and the location of the referring medical institution.

4. The program according to claim 1, wherein the medical institution evaluation means modifies the evaluation of the medical institution when a medical professional working at the medical institution is referred to a medical institution outside the framework of the university and medical department from which the medical professional worked at the medical institution graduated.

5. The aforementioned registration information receiving means also accepts information on the medical department as registration information of the medical institution, and the aforementioned medical institution registration means includes information on the medical department of the medical institution in the registration information when registering the medical institution. The patient referral information received by the aforementioned referral information receiving means includes information on the medical department, and the aforementioned medical institution evaluation means performs an evaluation for each medical department of the medical institution. The program according to claim 1, wherein when the search information receiving means receives search information for a referral to a medical institution, it also receives information about the medical department, and the search result output means outputs the information about the medical department of the medical institution as a candidate medical institution to refer to.

6. The program according to claim 1, wherein the search result output means transmits a display instruction signal to a terminal that is the source of the search information for the medical institution referral received by the search information receiving means, so that the outputted candidate medical institution referral information is displayed on the terminal.

7. The program according to claim 5, wherein the display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means to the terminal further causes the terminal to display an inquiry instruction to ask the referred medical institution to accept the patient.

8. The program according to claim 5, wherein the display instruction signal transmitted by the search result output means to the terminal causes the terminal to further display information on available hospital beds at the referred medical institution, as well as candidate information on outpatient appointment slots and appointment dates.

9. The aforementioned computer is further made to function as a means of granting benefits, The program according to claim 1, wherein when the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information indicating that a patient will be referred to a candidate medical institution to which the search result output means has output, the reward granting means grants a reward to at least one of the medical institutions that made the referral and the medical institution to which the patient was referred.

10. The program according to claim 1, wherein when the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information indicating that a patient is to be referred to a candidate medical institution to which the search result output means has output, the medical institution evaluation means, when changing the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institution and the referring medical institution, evaluates the medical institution in a manner different from when the referral information receiving means received patient referral information when the search result output means has not output a candidate medical institution to which the patient is to be referred.

11. A computer that functions as a registration information receiving means, a medical institution registration means, a referral information receiving means, a medical institution evaluation means, a search information receiving means, and a search result output means by executing a program in the control unit, When the registration information receiving means receives registration information of a medical institution, the medical institution registration means registers the medical institution based on the received registration information of the medical institution. When the referral information receiving means receives patient referral information that includes at least one of the information of the referring medical institution and the information of the referring medical institution, the medical institution evaluation means changes the evaluation of at least one of the referring medical institutions and the referring medical institution from among the registered medical institutions, and stores the changed evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal or external storage of the computer. When the search information receiving means receives search information for a referral to a medical institution, the search result output means outputs information on candidate medical institutions to be referred to, based on the medical institution evaluation information stored in the memory unit.

12. An information processing method performed by a computer having a control unit, When the control unit receives registration information of a medical institution, the control unit performs the registration of the medical institution based on the received registration information of the medical institution. When the control unit receives patient referral information that includes information on at least one of the referring medical institution and the receiving medical institution, it modifies the evaluation of at least one of the registered medical institutions, and stores the modified evaluation of the medical institution as medical institution evaluation information in the internal or external storage of the computer. When the control unit receives search information for a referral to a medical institution, the control unit outputs information on candidate medical institutions to be referred to based on the medical institution evaluation information stored in the memory unit. An information processing method equipped with [a specific feature].

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