Health management support programs and methods
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NIPRO CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-05
Smart Images
Figure 2026126867000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a method for assisting in the health management of users.
Background Art
[0002] In recent years, various programs for assisting in the health management of users have been known. For example, in Patent Document 1, state information (vital data, symptom information, etc.) and behavioral information (medication information, dietary information, exercise information, etc.) of a patient are acquired from a patient terminal used by the patient, and based on the acquired information, a program for recommending matters that the patient should preferentially do (for example, making a medical appointment at a medical facility) is disclosed.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] For example, patients with chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) need to perform appropriate exercise daily to prevent the progression of the disease, and regularly measure and record their blood pressure every day to correctly grasp changes in their physical condition. The following disclosure aims to provide a health management support program that realizes a user interface that allows patients with chronic diseases to intuitively grasp the transition of their disease conditions using a terminal such as a smartphone.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] To solve the above problems, the health management support program disclosed herein is a health management support program for assisting in the health management of patients with chronic diseases, on a processor of a patient's terminal, The system displays a screen for the patient to input disease condition data obtained from the patient regarding the aforementioned chronic disease, along with the measurement date, and stores the entered disease condition data in a memory unit along with the measurement date. Based on the disease condition data stored in the memory unit, a process is performed to generate a graph representing the progression of the disease condition data and to display it on the terminal. The process involves displaying multiple icons representing the progression stages of the chronic disease along the vertical axis of the graph in response to operations performed on the graph display screen, Make it run. [Effects of the Invention]
[0006] As described above, the following disclosure provides a health management support program and method that enables a user interface that allows patients with chronic diseases to intuitively understand the progression of their condition using a smartphone or other device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of the hardware configuration of the patient's terminal. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 10]Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how the patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of how a patient's terminal is displayed. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of a system that uses a server to run a health management support program. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an overview of the hardware configuration of terminal 2, which installs and runs the health management support program.
[0009] Terminal 2 provides a function to support the patient's health management by executing a health management support program. In the following embodiments, a health management support program for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) (sometimes referred to as a "health management support app") will be described as a specific example. Terminal 2 is a terminal used by the patient and consists of any hardware such as a smartphone, tablet, or wearable device such as a watch. As shown in Figure 1, Terminal 2 has a display 2a, a processor 2b, and a storage unit 2c. The health management support program is stored in the storage unit 2c, and the processor 2b reads and executes it. In addition to storing the health management support program and various data, the storage unit 2c also functions as a working memory for the health management support program. The display 2a is a touch panel that displays various screens and accepts patient operation and input.
[0010] One of the important indicators for evaluating the severity of CKD patients is eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate). eGFR represents the ability of the kidneys to excrete waste products into urine, and the lower the value, the worse the kidney function.
[0011] Figure 2 is an example of the home screen of the health management support app displayed on terminal 2. As shown in Figure 2, the home screen displayed on terminal 2 includes an eGFR display column 21 showing the trend of eGFR. The eGFR display column 21 graphs and displays the trend of eGFR based on the eGFR input by the patient into terminal 2. Also, the patient can input eGFR by tapping the "Input" button shown in the eGFR display column 21.
[0012] (Input of eGFR) First, the input of eGFR will be explained. As described above, when the "Input" button shown in the eGFR display column 21 is tapped, an eGFR input screen 22 shown in Figure 3 is displayed on terminal 2. When the patient inputs the measurement date and measurement value of the eGFR they want to input here and taps the "Save" button displayed at the bottom of the screen, the input measurement date and measurement value of eGFR are saved in the storage unit 2c of terminal 2.
[0013] (eGFR Graph on the Home Screen) The health management support app creates a graph based on the eGFR input by the patient and displays it in the eGFR display column 21 on the home screen. The eGFR display column 21 displays the five most recent measurement values. Also, in the default display of the eGFR display column 21, the latest eGFR value is displayed together with an icon on the left side of the graph (see (a) in Figure 5). This icon represents the state of the kidneys in multiple stages according to the eGFR value. For example, the eGFR value is divided into six stages, and the icons shown in (a) to (f) of Figure 4 are displayed starting from the range with a high eGFR value.
[0014] Furthermore, by tapping a dot on the graph or the measurement date and time display on the horizontal axis of the graph in the eGFR display area 21, the eGFR value of the tapped area will be displayed on the left side of the graph. For example, when the eGFR display area 21 on the home screen is in the default display state as shown in Figure 5(a), the latest eGFR value, i.e., the measurement taken on May 16, 2024, which is "84.0", is displayed as a number on the left side of the graph, and an icon corresponding to this eGFR value is displayed next to it. Here, for example, if you tap the area indicated by the dashed circle in Figure 5(a), the eGFR value and icon displayed on the left side of the graph will change according to the value of the tapped area, as shown in Figure 5(b). In the example in Figure 5, when the measurement taken on November 25, 2020 (the dot on the graph or the measurement date and time display on the horizontal axis of the graph) is tapped, the number next to the graph changes to "93.0", the measurement taken on November 25, 2020, and the icon also changes according to this measurement.
[0015] The health management support app adjusts the vertical axis scale of the eGFR display area 21 graph so that all five most recent measurements can be displayed. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6(a), the five most recent measurements are in the range of approximately 80 to 100, so the vertical axis scale is displayed in increments of 10. On the other hand, in the example shown in Figure 6(b), the five most recent measurements are in the range of approximately 70 to 100, so the vertical axis scale is displayed in increments of 20. By adjusting the vertical axis scale of the graph according to the range of measurements to be displayed, all five most recent measurements can be displayed in the eGFR display area 21, which has the advantage of allowing users to grasp the trend of eGFR at a glance.
[0016] When there are fewer than five recent measurements, the eGFR display area 21 will display the measurements by dividing the graph equally along the horizontal axis, as shown in Figures 7(a) to (d). This display allows the measurements to be displayed across the full width of the graph, resulting in a more visually appealing graph.
[0017] (eGFR graph by age) By tapping the "Graph" button at the bottom of the home screen shown in Figure 2, the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23 shown in Figure 8 is displayed. In the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23, the patient's current age is positioned in the center of the horizontal axis, the measured values are plotted as dots, and a trend line is drawn to show the changes over time. In this embodiment, an approximation curve is calculated and created by referring to the eGFR measurement values stored in the memory unit 2, and the predicted values are shown as the trend line. Note that, in addition to the approximation curve, other well-known methods can be used to calculate the predicted eGFR values. In this embodiment, the trend line is shown directly on the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23 as the approximation curve obtained from the calculation of the predicted values, as shown in Figure 8, but it is not particularly limited, and the position of the graph can be set as appropriate considering visibility and ease of understanding. Note that the trend line may be entirely solid or dashed, but by making the lines from the most recent plot onwards dashed, it becomes visually easier to understand that the dashed portion is a prediction of future trend lines.
[0018] Regarding the transition line, display conditions can be defined, and it may only be displayed when those conditions are met. For example, the condition for displaying the transition line may be set to when the number of dots displayed in the graph is greater than or equal to a certain number (e.g., 3 or more). Conditions may also be defined for elements other than the graph. In this embodiment, the transition line is displayed on the condition that there is historical data of eGFR that is more than two years old from the latest data information, and that there are three or more stored eGFR measurement data. This improves the reliability of the predicted value when it is desired to observe the long-term trend of measurement values such as eGFR. There are no limitations on the period or the number of data points, but the reliability of the predicted value will be further improved if the condition is longer than two years and there are many measurement values.
[0019] The background of the eGFR graph on screen 23, which shows eGFR values by age, is displayed in different colors for each stage of eGFR. For example, the graph background could be divided into six stages: 0.0-15.0, 15.0-30.0, 30.0-45.0, 45.0-60.0, 60.0-90.0, and greater than 90.0, with different colors displayed along the vertical axis. Alternatively, higher eGFR values could be displayed in blue or light blue, and lower eGFR values in colors closer to purple or red, allowing for an intuitive understanding of the disease progression. Furthermore, the top 75% of eGFR values from statistically collected data could be displayed in a single color. Displaying the graph background in different colors for each stage of eGFR has the advantage of allowing patients to grasp their own eGFR stage at a glance.
[0020] Furthermore, on the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23, tapping a dot on the graph or the age display on the horizontal axis of the graph will display a pop-up on the graph showing the age, eGFR value, and measurement date for the tapped area, as shown in Figure 9. This pop-up is displayed around the dot identified by tapping the dot on the graph or the age display on the horizontal axis of the graph, but it may also be displayed at a location away from the dot for better visibility. The pop-up may be displayed at the top or bottom of the graph. Also, as shown in Figure 9, the entered eGFR data can be deleted from the graph by tapping the trash can icon or the word "delete" on the right side of the pop-up display.
[0021] Furthermore, on the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23, tapping the vertical axis of the graph may display an eGFR explanation guide. For example, on the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23 shown in Figure 10(a), tapping the vertical axis of the graph will display icons representing the kidney condition for each stage of eGFR value, overlapping the vertical axis of the graph, as shown in Figure 10(b). These icons slide in from the left side of the screen when the vertical axis of the graph is tapped, and disappear when the screen (graph display area) is tapped again. By displaying icons overlaid on the graph in this way, patients can grasp their condition more intuitively compared to displaying only numerical values. Also, as shown in Figure 10(b), for the stages in the critical range where the disease condition becomes severe (the bottom two stages in the example of Figure 10), the text "Consider dialysis / transplant" and "Prepare for dialysis / transplant" are also displayed. This type of display allows patients to easily understand the situation when their eGFR value decreases. Furthermore, by making the icons disappear, it becomes possible to re-visible parts of the graph that were hidden by the icons, allowing users to grasp the entire graph.
[0022] The number of levels for the displayed icons can be changed as appropriate, such as 4 or 8 levels, and is not particularly limited, but 6 levels are preferable for eGFR graphs. Furthermore, the display width of the icons should preferably be about 1 / 10 to 1 / 5 of the graph display area. This allows at least the current age measurement and the most recent past measurement to be visible on the graph, making it possible to roughly judge the trend of the graph. Specifically, if there are three data sets available—current, one year ago, and two years ago—even if the icons are displayed on the left side of the graph area as in Figure 10(b), at least two data sets can be seen along with the trend line showing the progression from two years ago to the present. Also, if there is no record from one year ago, but data from two years ago or earlier exists, more than 50% of the trend line showing the progression up to the present will be visible, allowing for an approximate trend up to the present to be seen from the slope of the graph line. Note that pinch-in, described later, can be used to increase the number of years displayed on the graph and gain a better understanding of the entire graph, but it is preferable that more than 50% of the trend line showing the progression up to the present is visible in the initial state of the graph display without pinch-in or pinch-out operations.
[0023] Furthermore, the background color of the icon may be changed for each stage. It is preferable that the background color for each stage be set to a color that allows the viewer to intuitively grasp the disease state. For example, the icon color may change from blue to purple as the eGFR value decreases from high to low.
[0024] Additionally, a color bar may be placed along the vertical axis of the graph, consisting of the same color as the background color of the icon used when the icon is displayed, when the icon is not currently visible. This allows users to intuitively understand their medical condition even when the icon is not displayed.
[0025] Furthermore, on the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23, the number of years displayed on the graph can be increased or decreased by pinching in or out on the horizontal axis of the graph. For example, the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23 shown in Figure 8 displays eGFR for each year. By pinching in on the horizontal axis of the graph in this state, as shown in Figure 11(a), the size of each plotted dot becomes smaller, displaying eGFR for more years, and the scale of the horizontal axis of the graph becomes in 5-year increments. Also, in this state, the aforementioned pop-up display by tapping on the graph does not occur. At this time, the fact that the pop-up display is not possible may be indirectly indicated by making the color of the dots relatively lighter. The size of the dots in the pinch-in / out operation can be changed as appropriate and is not particularly limited, but it may be set to change the size so that the dots plotted for each year are easier to see in response to the pinch-in / out operation. By pinching in on the horizontal axis further in Figure 11(a), even more years of eGFR are displayed, as shown in Figure 11(b). In this way, by increasing or decreasing the age range displayed on the graph, it is possible to observe the changes in eGFR over a long period of time, or to observe detailed changes over a short period, as needed.
[0026] Furthermore, if there are years for which no eGFR data is recorded, or if there are years for which two or more measurements have been recorded, no dots will be displayed on the graph for the years for which no data is recorded, as shown in Figure 12(a). Also, if two or more measurements have been recorded in a year, the dots will be evenly spaced horizontally within that year, as also shown in Figure 12(a).
[0027] Furthermore, if there is no record of eGFR at the current age, the display range is set so that the current age is in the center of the horizontal axis, as shown in Figure 12(b), but dots are displayed only for years in which measurements are recorded. In other words, regardless of whether or not there is a record of eGFR at the current age, the age-specific eGFR graph screen 23 that is initially displayed when the "Graph" button is tapped displays the graph so that the current age is in the center of the horizontal axis.
[0028] After tapping the "Graph" button at the bottom of the home screen shown in Figure 2 to display the eGFR graph, tapping the "Blood Pressure Graph" tab will display the blood pressure graph 31 as shown in Figures 13(a) to (c). The blood pressure graph 31 can be displayed in three ways: "week," "month," and "year," as shown in Figures 13(a) to (c), respectively, and can be switched between by tapping "week," "month," or "year" at the top of the blood pressure graph display area. The graph is a line graph plotted for each day or month. In this case, the monthly graph may be plotted every 5 days, as shown in Figure 13(b). This prevents a decrease in visibility due to a large number of plotted dots, while still allowing the user to understand the movement of the line. The blood pressure graph 31 uses different colors for the background to make it easy to understand the stage of the disease. Tapping the "Blood Pressure Input" button shown in the blood pressure display area will display the blood pressure input screen 32 shown in Figure 14. The patient enters the date, time zone, time of measurement, and measurement value of the blood pressure they wish to input, and then taps the "Save" button displayed at the bottom of the screen. The entered blood pressure information is then saved to the memory unit 2c of terminal 2.
[0029] [Differentiation] The above description represents one embodiment of the health management support program and does not limit the scope of the rights of this application. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways.
[0030] [Example 1] The above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the health management support program is executed on the patient's terminal 2. However, the system may be configured to execute the health management support program in a system having a server that can communicate with the patient's terminal 2. For example, Figure 15 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of one embodiment of a health management support system 100 having a server 1. In the health management support system 100 shown in Figure 15, the server 1 is a computer equipped with a processor and can communicate with each of the terminals 2 of multiple patients via a network (not shown), such as the Internet. Although only one server 1 is shown in Figure 15, the health management support system 100 may have multiple servers, in which case the multiple servers may be distributed in remote locations.
[0031] In this modified example 1 of the health management support system 100, the server 1 includes a storage unit that stores programs and data at least temporarily. In the health management support system 100, the health management support program may be executed on the processor of the terminal 2, as in the above embodiment, and various data, including eGFR, may be stored for each patient in the storage unit of the server 1. Alternatively, the health management support program may be executed on the processor of the server 1, data input from the patient may be received and transmitted to the server 1, and the terminal 2 may be used as an input / output device to display the processing results of the server 1 on the display of the terminal 2.
[0032] [Differentiation 2] Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a health management support program for CKD patients, the target population of the health management support program disclosed herein is not limited to CKD patients but can include patients with various other diseases. For example, it can target patients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, malignant neoplasms, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, sighs, lung diseases, allergic diseases, or combinations of these diseases. Also, in the above description, an example was shown in which the patient inputs an eGFR value into terminal 2. However, since eGFR can be calculated from serum creatinine levels, age, and sex, instead of having the patient directly input an eGFR value, terminal 2 may be used to have the patient input serum creatinine levels, age, and sex, and terminal 2 or server 1 may calculate the eGFR.
[0033] [Difference 3] CKD refers to a condition in which kidney function is impaired. In this embodiment, CKD patients who use the app may, for example, be defined as patients with a GFR of 15 to 59, or patients with a GFR of 60 or higher who are classified as having proteinuria or albuminuria, regardless of the severity.
[0034] [Differentiation Example 4] Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a health management support program that graphs and displays the trends of eGFR and blood pressure, the data to be managed is not limited to these. Any biological data or test result data that can serve as an indicator of a patient's health status and whose trends are desirable to observe can be managed.
[0035] The embodiments disclosed herein can be described as follows.
[0036] [Item 1] A health management support program that assists in the health management of patients with chronic diseases, On the patient's terminal processor, The system displays a screen for the patient to input disease condition data obtained from the patient regarding the aforementioned chronic disease, along with the measurement date, and stores the entered disease condition data in a memory unit along with the measurement date. Based on the disease condition data stored in the memory unit, a process is performed to generate a graph representing the progression of the disease condition data and to display it on the terminal. The process involves displaying multiple icons representing the progression stages of the chronic disease along the vertical axis of the graph in response to operations performed on the graph display screen, A health management support program that enables implementation of these measures.
[0037] [Item 2] The health management support program described in item 1, wherein the background of the graph is displayed in a different color for each stage of progression of the chronic disease, and the area displayed in the different color is changed based on the age of the patient displayed in the graph.
[0038] [Item 3] A health management support program as described in item 1 or 2, which, when displaying the aforementioned multiple icons, displays an explanation indicating that at least one of the stages of progression of the chronic disease, which is of high severity, is in the danger zone.
[0039] [Item 4] A health management support program as described in any one of items 1 to 3, which changes the scale of the vertical axis of the graph so that all of the aforementioned medical condition data acquired over a specified period is displayed on the screen.
[0040] [Item 5] A health management support program according to any one of items 1 to 4, which changes the tick marks on the horizontal axis of the graph in response to pinching in or pinching out on the graph's display screen.
[0041] [Item 6] A health management support program described in any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the aforementioned chronic disease is chronic kidney disease and the aforementioned disease status data is eGFR.
[0042] [Item 7] A method for supporting the health management of patients with chronic diseases, On the patient's terminal processor, The first step involves displaying a screen for the patient to input disease condition data obtained from the patient regarding the aforementioned chronic disease, along with the measurement date, and storing the input disease condition data in a memory unit along with the measurement date. A second step involves generating a graph representing the progression of the disease condition data based on the disease condition data stored in the memory unit and displaying it on the terminal. A third step involves displaying multiple icons representing the progression stages of the chronic disease along the vertical axis of the graph in response to an operation on the graph display screen, Methods that include... [Explanation of symbols]
[0043] 1: Server, 2: Terminal, 100: Health management support system
Claims
1. A health management support program that assists in the health management of patients with chronic diseases, On the patient's terminal processor, The system displays a screen for the patient to input disease condition data obtained from the patient regarding the aforementioned chronic disease, along with the measurement date, and stores the entered disease condition data in a memory unit along with the measurement date. Based on the disease condition data stored in the memory unit, a process is performed to generate a graph representing the progression of the disease condition data and to display it on the terminal. The process involves displaying multiple icons representing the progression stages of the chronic disease along the vertical axis of the graph in response to operations performed on the graph display screen, A health management support program that enables implementation of these measures.
2. The health management support program according to claim 1, wherein the background of the graph is displayed in different colors for each stage of progression of the chronic disease, and the area displayed in each different color is changed based on the age of the patient displayed in the graph.
3. The health management support program according to claim 1, wherein when displaying the plurality of icons, an explanation is displayed indicating that at least one of the stages of progression of the chronic disease, which is of high severity, is in the danger zone.
4. The health management support program according to claim 1, which changes the scale of the vertical axis of the graph so that all of the aforementioned medical condition data acquired over a predetermined period are displayed on the screen.
5. The health management support program according to claim 1, wherein the scale of the horizontal axis of the graph changes in response to pinching in or pinching out on the graph display screen.
6. A health management support program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the chronic disease is chronic kidney disease and the disease condition data is eGFR.
7. A method for supporting the health management of patients with chronic diseases, On the patient's terminal processor, The first step involves displaying a screen for the patient to input disease condition data obtained from the patient regarding the aforementioned chronic disease, along with the measurement date, and storing the input disease condition data in the memory unit along with the measurement date. A second step involves generating a graph representing the progression of the disease condition data based on the disease condition data stored in the memory unit and displaying it on the terminal. A third step involves displaying a plurality of icons representing the progression stages of the chronic disease along the vertical axis of the graph in response to an operation on the graph display screen, Methods that include...