Display control method, program, and information processing device

Abstract

We provide new technologies to alleviate mental distress. [Solution] In a display control method for controlling the display of a display device, the display device displays a screen to a user who has logged into the patient system, and the computer controls the display of the display device so that the total number of registered users of the system performing a predetermined action today, information about the predetermined action, and character images representing registered users of the system performing the predetermined action are displayed on the same screen of the display device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display control method, a program, and an information processing apparatus for providing a user interface.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, software for assisting in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, so-called digital therapeutics, has been provided. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for comprehensively assisting in the care, treatment, and examination of a user's health condition. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses medical examination results, actions (a general term for exercises, diets, sleep, excretion, sexual intercourse, and other various daily life activities subjectively planned by the user for the purpose of improving the disease), treatments (a general term including medical consultations, treatments, procedures, prescriptions, etc. by medical institutions, and therapies adopted by the user with the permission of medical institutions), and attributes such as hospitals, and displays information of people (other users) similar to you (the user) on the screen of the user's terminal. According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the user can view the similar user information and refer to useful information therein, and it is easy to determine what kind of treatments, examinations, medical institutions, actions, etc. should be selected for maintaining and improving their own health condition, and it is easy to utilize them in actual medical consultations, etc.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, advances in cancer treatment, early detection, and treatment have improved patient survival rates, and the aspect of living with cancer while undergoing treatment is becoming more prevalent. Also, due to advances in medicine, cancer treatment is increasingly being conducted on an outpatient basis, not just in hospitals. Outpatient cancer treatment often involves continuous treatment over a certain period, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy every two to three weeks, and during this period of treatment, physical effects such as pain due to side effects can occur. Many patients experience feelings of loneliness and mental distress due to the injustice of being diagnosed with cancer, changes in their relationships, and the loss of their social roles.

[0005] The user interface described in Patent Document 1 shows similarity to the attributes of a specific user and is used for making decisions and selections regarding treatment, etc. However, it has some drawbacks in identifying the user and does not alleviate the mental distress associated with visiting a hospital.

[0006] Furthermore, situations involving mental distress may arise not only during hospital visits, but also in childcare, disabilities, and other circumstances. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a new technology for alleviating mental distress. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a display control method for controlling the display of a display device, characterized in that the display device displays a screen to a user logged into a patient system, and the computer controls the display of the display device so that it displays, on the same screen of the display device, the total number of registered users of the system performing a predetermined action today, information about the predetermined action, and an image of a character representing the registered user of the system performing the predetermined action. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a new technology for alleviating mental distress. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configuration of an information processing terminal. [Figure 3] This is a diagram showing the application screen 20. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the screen for entering a new appointment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a database. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing the screen for the new input field. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the GUI of another example 1. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the GUI of another example, 2. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the GUI of another example, 3. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the GUI of another embodiment 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described by listing them. The present invention has, for example, the following configuration.

[0011] [Item 1] In a display control method for controlling the display of a display device, The aforementioned display device displays a screen to a user who has logged into the patient system, Computers The display device is configured to display, on the same screen, the total number of registered users of the system performing a predetermined action today, information about the predetermined action, and an image of a character representing a registered user of the system performing the predetermined action. A display control method characterized by controlling the display of the aforementioned display device. [Item 2] The method according to item 1, characterized in that the patient is a cancer patient. [Item 3] The method according to item 1 or 2, wherein the action is a visit to a medical institution. [Item 4] The method according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the image of the character is an image of a number of characters corresponding to the total number of people. [Item 5] The method according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein in the same screen displayed for a user logged in with predetermined user identification information, the scheduled visit of the user with that user identification information is displayed. [Item 6] The method according to item 5, wherein the scheduled visit is the scheduled visit for today. [Item 7] The method according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein today is a predetermined date and time including the present. [Item 8] The method according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein in the same screen displayed for a user logged in with predetermined user identification information, the attribute information of users with user identification information other than the predetermined user identification information is not displayed. [Item 9] A program for causing a computer to execute the method according to any one of items 1 to 8. [Item 10] In an information processing apparatus, There is a processing unit that controls the display of a display device that displays a screen for a user logged in to a patient system, The processing unit is In the same screen of the display device, the total number of registered users of the system who perform a predetermined action today, the information on the predetermined action, and an image of a character representing the registered users of the system who perform the predetermined action are displayed, An information processing apparatus characterized by controlling the display of the display device.

[0012] <Details of the embodiment> In this embodiment, as an example, an information processing system for providing an application (software) intended for users suffering from an illness is described. Illnesses include various diseases, symptoms, disabilities, injuries, poisonings, and abnormalities, and below, a system specifically for cancer patients will be described.

[0013] Figure 1 shows a diagram of the information processing system in this embodiment. This system comprises information processing terminals (information processing devices) 1 and 2, and a server (information processing device) 3. These are connected by a network 4. Information processing terminal 1 is used by a user A, and information processing terminal 2 is used by another user B. In addition to information processing terminals 1 and 2, multiple other information processing terminals used by multiple other users may be connected to network 4. Hereafter, items common to each information processing terminal will not be explicitly referred to as "information processing terminals" without specifying reference numbers.

[0014] In this system, the server controls and manages the data, while the application (client) on the information processing terminal displays that data. On the server side (backend), data is managed in a database, API endpoints are provided, data updates and calculations are performed, data is sent to the client, the display of the application screen is controlled, and security is controlled. On the client side (application), requests are sent to the server's API, the data received from the server is displayed on the screen, a user interface (UI) is provided, and temporary data caching is performed.

[0015] The information processing terminal has user-facing application programs installed. These programs are installed by downloading them from a server connected to the information processing terminal via network 4. The information processing terminal transmits information entered by the user to server 3 via network 4. The information processing terminal also receives (acquires) information output by server 3 via network 4 and displays information (images) based on the received information.

[0016] Next, the configuration of the information processing terminal will be explained. The information processing terminal has a computer, such as a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, or a tablet. The information processing terminal displays on the same screen of the display device the total number of registered users who are performing a predetermined action at the present time and date, information about the predetermined action, and an image of a character representing the registered user performing the predetermined action, all from among the registered users who have registered as users in the information processing system.

[0017] Figure 2 shows a diagram of the information processing terminal's configuration. The information processing terminal includes a processing unit 11, memory 12, storage 13, communication unit 14, input unit 15, and display unit 16. These are electrically connected to each other via a bus 17. The bus 17 is commonly connected to all of the above components and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals.

[0018] The processing unit 11 is a computing device that controls the operation of the entire information processing terminal, controls the transmission and reception of data between each part, and performs information processing necessary for program execution and authentication processing. The processing unit 11 includes a computing device such as a CPU, GPU, or FPGA, and executes programs stored in the storage 13 and loaded into the memory 12 to perform various information processing described later.

[0019] The memory 12 (storage unit) includes a main memory composed of a volatile storage device such as DRAM, and an auxiliary memory composed of a non-volatile storage device such as flash memory or an HDD. The memory 12 is used as a work area for the processing unit 11, and also stores the BIOS and various setting information that are executed when the information processing terminal 1 is started up.

[0020] Storage 13 (storage medium) stores various programs of the application. A database containing data used for each process is built on storage 13.

[0021] The communication unit 14 connects the information processing terminal 1 to the network 4. The communication unit 14 communicates with external devices directly or via a network access point using methods such as wired LAN, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity, registered trademark), infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), short-range or contactless communication. The input unit 15 is an information input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel.

[0022] The display unit (display device) 16 includes a display that shows information calculated by the processing unit 11 or information received from an external source by the communication unit 14. An organic EL display, a liquid crystal display, or the like can be used as the display. The display unit 16 provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays various types of information on its display surface. The display unit 16 is not limited to being integrated with the information processing terminal; it may also be a display device provided separately from the information processing terminal and connected to it.

[0023] Next, the configuration of Server 3 will be described. Server 3 includes a computer having a processing unit, memory (storage unit), storage (storage medium), and communication unit. Each unit is electrically connected to the others via a bus. By executing the installed software program, Server 3 obtains the total number of registered users who are performing a predetermined action at the present time and date, and controls the display of the display device to display information about the predetermined action, the total number of users, and character images representing the registered users performing the predetermined action on the same screen of the display device.

[0024] The processing unit is a computing device that controls the overall operation of server 3, controls the transmission and reception of data between each part, and performs information processing necessary for program execution and authentication. The processing unit includes a computing device such as a CPU, GPU, or FPGA, and executes programs stored in storage and loaded into memory to perform various information processing described later. The memory of server 3 includes main memory composed of volatile storage devices such as DRAM, and auxiliary storage composed of non-volatile storage devices such as flash memory or HDD. The memory is used as a work area for the processing unit. The memory and storage of server 3 store various programs. In addition, a database storing data used for each process may be built in this storage, or it may be configured to be connectable to a separate database server.

[0025] The communication unit of server 3 connects server 3 to network 4. The communication unit communicates with external devices directly or via network access points using various communication methods. This communication unit receives information transmitted from information processing terminals 1 and 2 via network 4. The received information is stored in memory and used for information processing performed by the processing unit, or stored in storage. Server 3 receives (acquires) information transmitted by the information processing terminals via network 4, performs various information processing based on the received information, and stores the information in memory or storage. Furthermore, in response to requests from the information processing terminals, server 3 controls the communication unit to transmit the results of the information processing, or the information stored in memory or storage, to the information processing terminals.

[0026] Next, we will explain user registration. User A can register for this system using information processing terminal 1. First, user A installs the application on information processing terminal 1. Then, when user A launches the application for the first time, information processing terminal 1 displays a user registration screen (page) on its display. On the user registration screen, user A enters information to identify the user, such as email address and password. Depending on the purpose, user A can also enter information that represents the user's characteristics and attributes, such as medical condition and age. The processing unit of information processing terminal 1 acquires the user information entered by user A and controls the communication unit to send the acquired information to server 3. The communication unit sends the information to server 3 via network 4.

[0027] Server 3 receives user information entered by user A via network 4. At this time, server 3 can automatically create a user ID for user identification. Server 3 checks the user information for errors, and if there are no errors, it saves the user information to memory or a database and registers the user. If there are errors, server 3 sends an error notification to information processing terminal 1. When information processing terminal 1 receives an error notification, it displays an error message and prompts user A to correct the user information. Email addresses and user IDs are unique information used to identify individuals in various information processing and information transmission / reception processes, so it is necessary to register them without duplication.

[0028] When Server 3 automatically creates a user ID, it stores the user information entered by User A in memory or storage, generates a unique ID number for User A, and registers User A as a user. Server 3 notifies Information Processing Terminal 1 that user registration is complete and controls the communication unit to send the generated ID to Information Processing Terminal 1 used by User A. Information Processing Terminal 1 stores the user ID received from Server 3 in its memory.

[0029] Furthermore, this system allows users to create a character to use during user registration. Information processing terminal 1 displays a character generation screen on its display unit, and user A sends a character generation request to server 3 based on user A's actions. In response to receiving the character generation request from information processing terminal 1, server 3 creates an image of the user's character and either sends the generated character image to information processing terminal 1 or stores it in a database linked to the user ID. Information processing terminal 1 displays the character image generated by server 3 on its display unit, allowing user A to confirm the character they will use within the application. The character image consists of images of any creation, such as living things like humans, animals, or plants, or imaginary creatures. Preferably, the character should be an image that is close to the user, or an image that evokes pleasant feelings such as familiarity or security in the user. The character may also be a character image that represents the user (themselves), in other words, an avatar.

[0030] Similar to User A, User B can also register and generate a character image using the information processing terminal 2 that User B uses. A user ID and character image are generated for each user being registered. The character image may be different for each user, the same for all users, or different for only some users.

[0031] Next, the login process will be explained. Users who have completed user registration launch the application on the information processing terminal and log in by entering their user ID, email address and other user identification information, and password on the login screen. In response to the user's actions, the information processing terminal sends the entered user identification information and password, the information processing terminal's device information (device-specific identifier), application version information, and network information such as the IP address to server 3. Server 3 compares the received user identification information and password with the user information stored in the database. If the information entered by the user is correctly matched and authenticated, server 3 sends an authentication success response to the information processing terminal. Upon successful authentication, server 3 controls the display unit of the information processing terminal to display a predetermined screen and information.

[0032] Next, we will describe the application screen (graphical user interface (GUI)) displayed by a display device that shows information provided by an information processing terminal running an application. Here, a screen is a visually recognizable image displayed on the display surface (an area composed of multiple pixels) of a display device, and the same screen includes images that are moved and displayed within the display surface by scrolling and swiping, regardless of the size of the display surface of the display unit. In screen design, the display area is defined for each type and item of information stored in the database, so even if the content of the information displayed in the same display area on the screen differs from day to day, for example, if the type of information is the same, each screen displayed each day can be said to be the same screen. On the other hand, different screens are created independently as separate screens in screen design, and each screen displays a type of information unique to that screen. In screen design, each screen may be assigned a unique ID, number, or name to distinguish each of multiple screens.

[0033] Figure 3 shows screen 20 (the screen for medical visits) of the application displayed by the display device. Screen 20 represents the relationship and connection with the outside world, such as medical institutions. Screen 20 displays information about other registered users. To represent the connection with the outside world, screen 20 displays the total number of users scheduled to visit a medical institution today, including the present day, and their characters. Visiting a medical institution includes going to a medical institution such as a hospital, clinic, or medical office, and receiving online medical consultations from a medical institution.

[0034] Screen 20 has an area 21 that displays the total number of registered users who have registered with this system and who are scheduled to visit a hospital today. In Figure 3, area 21 displays 4 people as the number of people scheduled to visit a hospital today. Server 3 obtains today's date, searches the database for users who have scheduled hospital visits today, and calculates the total number of users with scheduled hospital visits today. Server 3 then sends the total number of users with scheduled hospital visits today to the information processing terminal. Since the user of the information processing terminal displaying Screen 20 has scheduled hospital visits today, that user is included in the total number.

[0035] In Figure 3, screen 20 has an area 22 for displaying characters. The characters used are those created by server 3 during user registration. In Figure 3, images of characters for the total number of users who have scheduled hospital visits today are displayed. In addition to the user's own character, other characters are also included. These other characters may be those of other registered users, or, if the number is small, the character of the system administrator may be used. Server 3 sends the character image information stored in the database to the information processing terminal according to the calculated total number of users who have scheduled hospital visits today, and performs display control to display it on the information processing terminal's display unit. The information processing terminal receives the character information and displays it on its display unit.

[0036] On screen 20, the user can check their scheduled hospital visit for the day. The information processing terminal displays the information about the day's hospital visit entered by the user on screen 20. Screen 20 has an area 23 that displays the day's schedule entered and saved by the user. Server 3 retrieves the information about the day's hospital visit of the user logged into the information processing terminal from the database and sends it to the information processing terminal. The information processing terminal displays the information about the day's hospital visit of the user on screen 20. The area 23 for today's schedule displays the date and time entered by the user, title (hospital name), list of items to bring, memo (free-form text field), etc. Within the screen displayed to users logged in with predetermined user identification information, the hospital visit schedule of the user with that user identification information is displayed.

[0037] Screen 20 displays a button 25 for adding an appointment. When the user taps or clicks (selects) the appointment addition button 25, the information processing terminal displays a screen 30 for adding a new appointment. The information processing terminal notifies the server 3 in response to the user's selection of the appointment addition button 25, and the server 3 sends the information on screen 30 to the information processing terminal so that screen 30 is displayed on the terminal's display unit.

[0038] Figure 4 shows screen 30 for entering a new appointment. Screen 30 displays a field 31 for entering the date of the new appointment, a field 32 for entering the title (name) of the appointment, a field 33 for entering a checklist of items to bring, etc., and a field 34 for entering notes as a free-text field. The user can enter the name of the hospital to be visited in the title field or the free-text field, or enter the details of the examination, the name of the medical department, etc. in the free-text field. When the user has finished entering information in these fields and wishes to save it, they select the save button 35. When the user selects the save button 35, the information processing terminal sends the information entered by the user to the server 3, and the server 3 stores that information in the database. The server 3 then controls the display of the information processing terminal's screen to return from screen 30 to screen 20.

[0039] On screen 30, if the user wishes to stop entering information, they select the cancel button 36. When the user selects the cancel button 36, the information processing terminal notifies the server 3, and the server 3 controls the display so that the information processing terminal's screen returns from screen 30 to screen 20. Even if the user has entered information in each field on screen 30, if the user selects the cancel button 36, the information entered by the user in each field on screen 30 will not be stored in the database.

[0040] Figure 5 shows an example of a database. The database has fields for event number, user ID, date, title, list, and memo. Multiple information sets are stored, with each set containing this information. Each time the user enters information on screen 30 and selects the save button 35, server 3 assigns an event number to the information received from the information processing terminal. When the user selects the save button 35, the information processing terminal sends the user ID along with the information entered by the user to server 3. Server 3 retrieves this information and stores it in the database, item by item.

[0041] When Server 3 displays the total number of registered users scheduled to visit a hospital today on screen 20, it obtains today's date, searches the database for a dataset containing today's date, and counts the number of user IDs in the retrieved dataset, removing duplicates. The counted number is then calculated as the total number of users scheduled to visit a hospital today.

[0042] In recent years, advances in medical treatment have led to an increase in outpatient cancer treatment, in addition to hospitalization. Outpatient cancer treatment involves chemotherapy and radiation therapy every two to three weeks, but side effects such as pain can occur during these visits. Furthermore, some people find it difficult to accept bad test or treatment results, making receiving them distressing. Therefore, many patients experience significant emotional distress during outpatient visits. Additionally, many patients experience feelings of loneliness and emotional distress due to the injustice of their cancer diagnosis, changes in their relationships, and the loss of their social roles. On screen 20, users can see the total number of users scheduled for outpatient visits today, allowing them to see others in similar situations, feel the presence of others, and alleviate feelings of loneliness. Displaying the user's own character and other characters further reinforces the feeling of not being alone. Displaying a corresponding number of characters, corresponding to the total number of users scheduled for outpatient visits, can further enhance this effect. In this way, screen 20 can help alleviate the emotional stress of users who tend to feel isolated, particularly those living with cancer.

[0043] Screen 20 does not display the names, IDs, hospital names, or medical departments of other registered users. If the system displayed the names of other registered users, and those users passed away at some point in the future, their names would no longer be displayed as future appointments would not be registered. This could cause sadness for the user and negatively impact their mental state. In particular, if a registered user is a terminally ill cancer patient, it is preferable not to display their name on the information processing terminal used by other registered users. Displaying hospital names could also be a source of mental stress for the user, as they might become aware of the presence of others attending the same hospital. Unlike the technology described in Patent Document 1, this system does not indicate similarities with the attributes of a specific user to be used for making decisions or selections regarding treatment, etc.

[0044] Considering that users may feel burdened by communicating with specific individuals, this system may choose not to provide a communication tool with other registered users or a function for sharing user information with other registered users. Therefore, screen 20 does not provide a strong connection to the outside world, but rather can be provided as a space for a loose connection to the outside world by displaying the number of people visiting the hospital today. By using screen 20 as a space for a loose connection to the outside world, users can utilize it to alleviate their mental stress and experience a healing effect.

[0045] Screen 20 displays a record button 26 for viewing all records, a post button 27, a new entry button 28, and a menu bar 29. When the user selects the record button 26, the information processing terminal displays a screen containing records of appointments previously entered by the user. The information processing terminal notifies server 3 in response to the user's selection of the record button 26. Upon receiving the notification, server 3 obtains user identification information from the information processing terminal and searches the database using the user identification information to retrieve information on all appointments previously entered by the user. Server 3 sends information on all appointments previously entered by the user to the information processing terminal and also sends screen information to the information processing terminal so that the screen can be displayed on the terminal's display unit.

[0046] Post 27 displays memo information (text, images, etc.) entered by the user and stored in an external database such as Server 3. When displaying Post 27, Server 3 searches for memo information that has been previously entered by the user and stored in an external device such as Server 3. During the search, Server 3 obtains the user identification information of the logged-in user A from Information Processing Terminal 1 to identify whose memo information it is. Information Processing Terminal 1 may also send device information along with the user identification information to Server 3. In response to the information from Information Processing Terminal 1, Server 3 searches the database for memo information that has been previously entered and stored by User A, using the user ID and other search conditions. Server 3 sends the memo information extracted by the search to Information Processing Terminal 1. Information Processing Terminal 1 receives the memo information from Server 3 and displays it in Post 27.

[0047] Users can also choose whether or not to display the entered post information on screen 20. In other words, users can also choose to display the entered post information on a separate screen. When a user enters a post, the information processing terminal sends information to server 3 indicating that it should be displayed on screen 20, and this information is stored in the database in conjunction with memo information. When displaying on screen 20, server 3 controls the display unit to show only the memo information that has been stored as a set with the information to be displayed on screen 20.

[0048] When the user selects the new input button 28, the information processing terminal notifies the server 3 that the new input button 28 has been operated, and the server 3 instructs the information processing terminal to display the input field. Once the information processing terminal displays the input field, the user can enter text (characters, symbols), images, etc. into the input field.

[0049] Figure 6 shows the input field screen 40. Screen 40 displays a text input field 41 and an image input field 42. In the text input field 41, the user can enter things like notes about hospital visits, test results, questions for doctors and nurses, events in daily life, impressions, thoughts, feelings, anxieties, and musings. By selecting the photo icon 43, the information processing terminal displays images stored in the terminal's memory, and the user can select an image from the displayed images and input it into the image input field 42. The user can also take a picture using the camera connected to the information processing terminal by selecting the camera icon 44. Images taken by the user are input into the image input field 42. Images entered into the image input field can also be deleted. In screen 40, the user can enter the date, such as the current date, in the date field 45.

[0050] Screen 40 displays a save button 46 and a cancel button 47. When the user selects the save button 46, the information processing terminal notifies the server 3, retrieves the entered text, image, and date (time) information, and sends it to the server 3. The server 3 receives the information sent from the information processing terminal and stores it in an external database such as the server 3. After storing the information in the database, the server 3 controls the display of the information processing terminal's screen to return from screen 40 to screen 20. When the user selects the cancel button 47, the information processing terminal notifies the server 3, the information processing terminal does not send the information entered by the user to the server 3, and the server 3 controls the display of the information processing terminal's screen to return from screen 40 to screen 20, ending the user's input.

[0051] Users who have finished their hospital visit for the day can select the "New Input" button 28 to enter the results of their examination and tests as a memo on screen 40, and have the information stored in a database such as server 3. Users who have finished their hospital visit for the day can also select the "Add Appointment" button 25 to register information about their next appointment. On screen 30 for adding a new appointment, users can enter information about their next appointment, as well as the results of their examination and tests for the day in the memo field 34, and have this information stored in a database such as server 3. The information entered in the memo field 34 is displayed in the appointment display area 23 on screen 20.

[0052] Screen 20 has a button 24 that says "Today's schedule is complete." Button 24 is provided for the user to select when they have completed an task (event) displayed in the Today's Schedule area 23. When the user selects button 24, the screen displays a screen asking whether to add the next appointment. Depending on the user's selection, the screen either adds the next appointment and returns to screen 20, or returns to screen 20 without adding an appointment. The next screen 20 displayed does not show today's schedule, but shows future appointments if any. The information processing terminal notifies server 3 according to the selection of button 24, and server 3 controls the display to switch the display on the information processing terminal's screen.

[0053] Screen 20 displays a menu bar 29. When the user selects the menu bar 29, the information processing terminal notifies the server 3, and the server 3 instructs the information processing terminal to display the menu image on screen 20. The menu image displays various menus, and the user can switch to a different screen based on their selection.

[0054] (Other Example 1) Figure 7 shows another example of a screen for hospital visits, specifically application screen 50 displayed by the display device. Screen 50 is typically displayed after the user selects the "Today's appointments are complete" button 24. Screen 50 has an area 51 that displays the total number of users registered with the system who have appointments scheduled for today. In Figure 7, area 51 displays 13 people as the number of people with appointments today. The user of the information processing terminal on which screen 50 is displayed does not have any appointments scheduled for today, so that user is not included in the total.

[0055] Screen 50 has an area 52 for displaying characters. The characters used are those created by Server 3 during user registration. In the example of Screen 50, five characters are displayed because there are many people who have appointments today. Server 3 sends character information to the information processing terminal so that it can display as many characters as can be displayed on Screen 50, according to the calculated total number of users who have appointments today. The number of characters displayed does not necessarily match the total number of users who have appointments today, but the number of characters displayed may increase as the total number of users with appointments increases. The information processing terminal receives the character information and displays it on the display unit. In the example of Screen 50, along with the characters, images 53 representing the outside world are displayed, such as playground equipment, benches, streetlights, trees, and flowers. By displaying natural environments or public objects along with the characters, an image of the outside world, including nature and people, can be provided, making the image of the outside world more impressive to the user and providing a healing effect. Therefore, the user can feel connected to the outside world.

[0056] On screen 50, the user can check their upcoming hospital visits. The information processing terminal displays the hospital visit schedule entered by the user on screen 50. Screen 50 has an area 54 that displays the schedule entered and saved by the user. The schedule area 54 displays the date and time entered by the user, title (hospital name), list of items to bring, memo (free text field), etc. In the example of screen 50, there are no appointments registered by the user for today, so today's schedule is not displayed. Screen 50 displays a button 56 for adding an appointment. The method for entering appointment information is as described in the explanation of screen 30 shown in Figure 4. Screen 50 displays a record button 57 for viewing all records, post buttons 58 and 59, a new entry button 60, and a menu bar 61, which are the same as those on screen 20.

[0057] (Another example 2) Figure 8 shows screen 70 of the application displayed by the display device as another example of a screen for hospital visits. The same parts as screen 20 are indicated with the same numbers. In screen 70, the way characters are displayed differs from screen 20. In screen 70, the character 71 of user A, who is logged in on the information processing terminal 1 on which screen 70 is displayed, is displayed in a different manner from the character 72 of other registered users who are also receiving hospital visits. The character 72 of other registered users receiving hospital visits is displayed in light gray, and the character 71 of the user logged in on the information processing terminal on which screen 70 is displayed is displayed in dark black. In other words, they are displayed so that they can be distinguished by the color of the image. The difference in color can be distinguished based on the color difference ΔE, which is commonly used in JIS standards and various industries. For example, a ΔE of 13 or more is defined as a different color. Server 3 identifies the color difference as described above using HEX, RGB, etc., generates images of user A's character 71 and the images of other registered users' character 72 so that their colors are different from each other, sends these images to the information processing terminal, and performs display control to display them on the display unit of the information processing terminal.

[0058] Furthermore, on screen 70, the word "You" is displayed above the user's character 71 to make it easier for the user to recognize themselves. This makes it easier to visually distinguish and recognize oneself from others, and allows for a more effective sense of connection with others who are in similar circumstances.

[0059] (Other Example 3) Figure 9 shows screen 80 of the application displayed by the display device as another example of a screen for hospital visits. The same parts as screen 20 are indicated with the same numbers. In screen 80, the display of characters is different from that of screen 20. In screen 80, the character 81 of user A, who is logged in on the information processing terminal 1 on which screen 80 is displayed, is displayed with an image of a different design from the character 82 of other registered users who are also receiving hospital visits. Multiple character 82s of other registered users receiving hospital visits are displayed as the same image, and the character 81 of user A, who is logged in on the information processing terminal 1 on which screen 80 is displayed, is displayed with an image that user A has registered according to their preference. In order to display screen 80, server 3 searches and extracts the character image that user A registered when registering as a user, based on user A's user ID, and sends it to information processing terminal 1, sending the image 81 along with the character 82 images of other registered users. Information processing terminal 1 displays these images sent from server 3 on its display unit.

[0060] (Other example 4) Figure 10 shows another example of a screen for hospital visits, specifically application screen 90 displayed by the display device. This system controls the display on screen 90 to show the number of people scheduled for hospital visits today, and to display character images for each person. Area 91 displays the number of people scheduled for hospital visits. Area 92 displays the character images. Figure 10 omits the illustration of detailed character images. If user A, logged into the information processing terminal 1 displaying screen 90, has a hospital visit scheduled for today, a character image representing user A is displayed larger than the other character images near the center of area 92. Additionally, user A's own character name, avatar name, or username can be displayed.

[0061] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, but the technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to these examples. Furthermore, not all components shown in the embodiments are essential components of this disclosure. Also, features shown in each embodiment are applicable to other embodiments insofar as they do not contradict each other.

[0062] The display control of the display unit described above can also be performed by an information processing terminal on which the program is installed, or by sending and receiving information via a network or cable with other information processing devices. Furthermore, the various information processing operations described above can be performed by one or more information processing devices on which the program is installed, such as cloud services or distributed computers. Server 3 may be configured on-premises, in the cloud, or as a virtual server or container within the cloud.

[0063] The total number of registered users scheduled to visit a hospital today, displayed on screen 20 of the information processing terminal used by a user logged in with a predetermined user identification information, includes that user because their hospital visit for today is stored in the database. However, even if a user's hospital visit for today is stored in the database, that user does not have to be included in the total. In other words, the total may only count other registered users.

[0064] Furthermore, while the number of people displayed today is shown, it is not limited to today; it can also be set to include a specific time period, such as this morning, a designated time slot including the current time, the current time, this week, this month, or this year. In addition, the patient's actions to be counted can include not only hospital visits but also participation in patient gatherings or cancer-related events. In that case, the database should store the schedule of participation in patient gatherings or cancer-related events and use it for searching.

[0065] In the above embodiment, cancer patients were specifically envisioned as users, but people with various diseases, symptoms, disabilities, injuries, addictions, or abnormalities, not limited to cancer, can also be used and registered as users. Furthermore, the system can be constructed for people who are raising children or providing care. The number of connections displayed could, for example, show the number of people scheduled for rehabilitation today, or the number of people currently breastfeeding, on the information processing terminal screen, and a character image could also be displayed on that screen. Childcare, disabilities, and other situations can cause emotional distress, similar to hospital visits. This system can provide new technology to alleviate such emotional distress for these individuals.

Claims

1. In a display control method for controlling the display of a display device, The aforementioned display device displays a screen to a user who has logged into the patient system, Computers The display device is configured to display, on the same screen, the total number of registered users of the system performing a predetermined action today, information about the predetermined action, and an image of a character representing a registered user of the system performing the predetermined action. A display control method characterized by controlling the display of the aforementioned display device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the patient is a cancer patient.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned action is to visit a hospital.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the character images are images of a number of characters corresponding to the total number of people.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, on the same screen displayed to a user who has logged in with predetermined user identification information, the user's scheduled medical appointments are displayed.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the aforementioned appointment is for today's appointment.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that "today" refers to a predetermined date and time including the present.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, on the same screen displayed to a user who has logged in with predetermined user identification information, the attribute information of a user with user identification information other than the predetermined user identification information is not displayed.

9. A program for causing a computer to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. In an information processing device, It has a processing unit that controls the display of a display device that shows a screen to a user who has logged into the patient system, The aforementioned processing unit, The display device is configured to display, on the same screen, the total number of registered users of the system performing a predetermined action today, information about the predetermined action, and an image of a character representing a registered user of the system performing the predetermined action. An information processing apparatus characterized by controlling the display of the aforementioned display device.

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