Access control of patient information shared between medical institutions

Abstract

To provide a method for managing patient information in a system including a cloud server, a healthcare facility, and affiliated facilities connected via a network, a non-temporary CRM and a system.SOLUTION: The method includes the steps of: receiving, from the healthcare facility, a medical image in response to examination order information sent by a first user from one affiliated facility; correlating the medical image to the examination order information and adding them to the patient information stored in a storage; correlating the medical image to disclosure propriety information indicating whether to allow the patient information to be disclosed to a second user; receiving a viewing request sent by the first or second user from one affiliated facility; determining whether to approve the viewing request based on the examination order information or the disclosure propriety information; and approving the viewing request and transmitting the patient information to the affiliated facility from which the viewing request has been sent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Medical images and medical data play an important role in patient diagnosis. Hospitals and other medical institutions have recognized the benefits of electronically storing medical images and medical data. Digitization of medical images and data ("medical data") not only makes medical images and medical data more easily accessible to medical professionals, but also makes it easier to share images and data between multiple medical institutions using physical media such as compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and universal serial bus (USB) flash drives.

[0002] More recently, cloud-based storage systems have emerged to improve information efficiency and accessibility. Generally, the term "cloud" refers to an online storage system that provides remote, on-demand access to computing resources and data over the Internet to multiple computers and devices in various locations. Cloud-based storage can be provided by vendors that use remote or off-site data centers in various locations for storing data, such as medical images. Cloud-based storage vendors offer a common viewing system ("universal viewer") that allows a single request to retrieve a complete set of a patient's medical data, captured or stored at other facilities.

[0003] However, cloud-based storage typically stores medical images of multiple patient regions (e.g., head, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and legs) acquired during a single examination, requiring users (e.g., doctors) to search for medical images of their area of ​​interest (e.g., an area belonging to the user's area of ​​expertise).

[0004] The network system may include an image server that provides medical images of a predetermined area to each medical institution so that each user can more easily obtain specific medical information (e.g., medical images) that they are interested in. However, in such a system, a user is only permitted to view medical images captured for the area captured at the user's request, and cannot view other medical images. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a method for managing a plurality of patient information in a system for sharing the patient information among a cloud server including a storage, a medical institution including an imaging device, and a plurality of affiliated facilities, the cloud server, the medical institution, and the affiliated facilities being connected to one another via a network, and the method comprising: , including first user-identifying information receiving, from the medical institution, medical images created by the imaging device in accordance with examination order information; associating the received medical images with the examination order information and adding the medical images and the examination order information to the patient information stored in the storage; and associating the medical images with disclosure property information in the storage, which indicates whether or not disclosure of the patient information to a second user is permitted; including visitor-specific information, receiving a request to view the patient information sent by the first user or the second user from one of the affiliated facilities; determining whether to approve the request for viewing based on the test order information or the disclosure property information; and approving the request for viewing the patient information by the first user or the second user, and transmitting the patient information to the one affiliated facility that is the source of the request for viewing. and determining whether to approve the viewing request includes determining whether the viewer identification information matches the first user identification information or is set by the first user to be associated with the first user. .

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention is a non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) that stores instructions for causing the cloud server to perform operations for managing a plurality of pieces of patient information in a system for sharing the patient information among a cloud server including a storage, a medical institution including an imaging device, and a plurality of affiliated facilities, wherein the cloud server, the medical institution, and the affiliated facilities are connected to one another via a network, and the operations are performed by the cloud server to manage the patient information transmitted by a first user from one of the affiliated facilities. , including first user-identifying information receiving, from the medical institution, medical images created by the imaging device in accordance with examination order information, associating the received medical images with the examination order information, adding the medical images and the examination order information to the patient information stored in the storage, and associating the medical images with disclosure property information in the storage indicating whether or not disclosure of the patient information to a second user is permitted; including visitor-specific information, receiving a request to view the patient information sent by the first user or the second user from one of the affiliated facilities, determining whether to approve the request to view the patient information based on the test order information or the disclosure property information, approving the request to view the patient information sent by the first user or the second user, and sending the patient information to the one of the affiliated facilities that sent the request to view the patient information; When determining whether to approve the viewing request, the cloud server determines whether the viewer identification information matches the first user identification information or is set by the first user to be associated with the first user. .

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a system for managing a plurality of patient information, the system including a cloud server including a storage, a medical institution including an imaging device, and a plurality of affiliated facilities, the system shares the patient information between the cloud server, the medical institution, and the plurality of affiliated facilities via a network, and the cloud server receives the patient information transmitted by a first user from one of the affiliated facilities. , including first user-identifying informationreceiving, from the medical institution, medical images created by the imaging device in accordance with examination order information, associating the received medical images with the examination order information, adding the medical images and the examination order information to the patient information stored in the storage, and associating the medical images with disclosure property information in the storage indicating whether or not disclosure of the patient information to a second user is permitted; including visitor-specific information, Receive a request to view the patient information sent by the first user or the second user from one of the affiliated facilities, determine whether to approve the request to view the patient information based on the test order information or the disclosure property information, approve the request to view the patient information by the first user or the second user, and send the patient information to the one of the affiliated facilities that sent the request to view the patient information. When determining whether to approve the viewing request, the cloud server determines whether the viewer identification information matches the first user identification information or is set by the first user to be associated with the first user. .

[0008] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a system according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a table of a database stored on a cloud server in accordance with one or more embodiments. [Figure 3] 10 illustrates another table in a database stored on a cloud server in accordance with one or more embodiments. [Figure 4] 10 illustrates another table in a database stored on a cloud server in accordance with one or more embodiments. [Figure 5] 10 illustrates another table in a database stored on a cloud server in accordance with one or more embodiments. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for approving a viewing request based on disclosed property information in one or more embodiments. [Figure 7] 10 illustrates a flow diagram illustrating operations for sending browsing and filtering requests from affiliated establishments in one or more embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a main flowchart according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates a flowchart of an approval process in accordance with one or more embodiments. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates a computing system in accordance with one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Specific embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying images. For consistency, similar elements in the images are numbered similarly. For simplicity, similar elements may not be numbered in all figures.

[0011] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

[0012] In this application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third, etc.) may be used as adjectives to refer to elements (nouns within the application). The use of ordinal numbers does not imply or confer a particular order of the elements, nor does it limit any element to only a single element unless expressly disclosed, such as by use of terms such as "before," "after," "single," or other words. Rather, the use of ordinal numbers distinguishes between elements. By way of example, a first element is distinct from a second element, a first element may include one or more elements, and may follow (or precede) a second element in the order of elements.

[0013] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a reference to a "horizontal ray" includes a reference to a "plurality." Thus, for example, when referring to a "horizontal ray," there may be one or more such rays.

[0014] Terms such as "approximately," "about," "substantially," and the like mean that the stated characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations and variations, including, for example, tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limitations, and other factors known to those skilled in the art, may occur to an extent that does not interfere with the effect intended to be obtained by the technical characteristic.

[0015] Although multiple dependent claims have not been introduced, it will be clear to one skilled in the art that the subject matter of one or more dependent claims may be combined with other dependent claims.

[0016] [System Overview] Generally, one or more embodiments of the present invention provide a method, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and a system for controlling the viewing of patient information (e.g., medical images) across multiple medical institutions. Patient information is acquired from tests (e.g., computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), etc.) performed at a medical institution and shared across multiple affiliated facilities via a server (e.g., a cloud server). More specifically, in one or more embodiments, not only is the user who requested the test (the "first user") authorized to view the patient information, but other users (the "second users") at the same or different facilities are also authorized to view the patient information under certain conditions. This provides the convenience of viewing patient information in a universal viewer system without sacrificing the security of the patient information. "Users" at the facilities may be medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, medical staff, and medical technicians.

[0017] For example, in one or more embodiments, the system includes (1) at least one medical institution (hereinafter, "medical institution") that includes an imaging device, and (2) multiple other affiliated facilities (each of which may or may not be a medical institution, but all of which are collectively referred to herein as "affiliated facilities"). A user (first user) at one of the affiliated facilities sends a request for an examination to the medical institution and obtains patient information for a patient. In response, the medical institution takes medical images of the patient and returns the medical images, including metadata, to the first user at the affiliated facility. At the same time, a cloud server obtains the patient information, including the patient's medical images, from the medical institution. Thereafter, in response to a viewing request from the first user or another user (second user) at one of the affiliated facilities, the cloud server provides the patient information to the multiple affiliated facilities under predetermined conditions.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, each of the medical institution and affiliated facilities may be associated with one of a cloud-based storage system, a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), or a cloud-based PACS provided by the same or different vendors.

[0019] According to one or more embodiments, medical images and medical data may be stored in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format. A medical image may include multiple (e.g., dozens to hundreds) DICOM-formatted images. The DICOM-formatted images may include metadata such as patient personal information (e.g., patient ID, patient name, patient date of birth (DOB), patient gender) and individual examination information (e.g., examination date, registration number for each medical image, modality used to perform the examination). Hereinafter, the medical images, patient personal information, and individual examination information are referred to as "patient information."

[0020] [System Configuration] FIG. 1 illustrates a system 1000 according to one or more embodiments. As illustrated, the system 1000 includes a cloud server 100, a medical institution (facility A, "medical institution") including an imaging device 300, and affiliated facilities (facilities B1-B2), each connected via a network such as the Internet. The number of medical facilities, affiliated facilities, or users is not limited to these or other examples. Accordingly, in the following description, specific references to a "first user," a "second user," a "facility B1," a "facility B2," etc. should be understood as merely examples.

[0021] [Cloud Server] The cloud server 100 includes a universal viewer computing device 110 on which a universal viewer application is installed. The universal viewer computing device 110 includes a processor 120, a storage unit 130 for storing the database described below, and a cloud gateway (GW) device (140). The universal viewer computing device 110 may be a commercial computer that includes one or more computer processors, associated memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory, etc.), one or more storage devices (e.g., hard disks, optical devices such as compact disc (CD) drives or digital versatile disc (DVD) drives, flash memory sticks, etc.), and various other elements and functions. The universal viewer computing device 110 may be managed by a vendor that provides cloud-based PACS services.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the processor 120 receives one or more medical images and test order information from a medical institution (facility A). The processor 120 associates the received medical images with the test order information and adds the medical images and test order information to the patient information stored in the database in the storage unit 130.

[0023] The medical image is created by the imaging device 300 at facility A in response to examination order information sent by the first user from one of the affiliated facilities (for example, facility B1).

[0024] The test order information is sent from facility B1 to request facility A to take one or more medical images of a patient. The test order information includes patient identification information and first user identification information. The patient identification information identifies a patient for whom medical images are requested by the first user and may include the patient's ID and name. The first user identification information identifies the first user and may include the first user's unique ID / password and / or facility B1's common ID / password.

[0025] The processor 120 also associates the medical image with disclosure property information stored in the database of the storage unit 130. The disclosure property information indicates whether disclosure of the patient information to another user (second user) affiliated with one of the affiliated facilities (e.g., facility B2) is permitted. In one or more embodiments, the disclosure property information indicates the status of the patient information. For example, the status may include a first status that prohibits disclosure of the patient information to the second user, a second status that permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user, or a third status that permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user only under certain conditions. Furthermore, the disclosure property information may be set, for example, by the patient or a medical professional (e.g., a doctor, nurse, medical staff, medical technician, etc.) at facility A or the first user at facility B1, and transmitted to the cloud server 100 and stored in advance in the database of the storage unit 130.

[0026] The processor 120 also receives a view request sent by the second user from facility B2. The view request is a request to the cloud server 100 to allow the second user to view the patient information of the target patient. The view request includes patient identification information of the target patient and viewer identification information. The patient identification information identifies the target patient whose patient information is requested and may include the ID and name of the target patient. The viewer identification information identifies the viewer or the second user and may include the second user's unique ID / password or the facility B2's common ID / password.

[0027] Further, the processor 120 determines whether to approve the viewing request based on the test order information or the disclosed property information, for example, by determining whether the viewer identification information matches or is associated with the first user identification information.

[0028] When the viewer identifying information (e.g., the viewer's unique ID) is the same as the first user identifying information (e.g., the first user's unique ID), the viewer identifying information matches the first user identifying information, indicating that the viewer is the first user. On the other hand, when the viewer identifying information (e.g., the viewer's unique password) is not the same as but linked to the first user identifying information (the first user's unique password), the viewer identifying information is associated with the first user identifying information. This may include, for example, a case where the first user is a doctor and the viewer or the second user is a nurse who belongs to the same affiliated facility as the doctor. The association between the first user identifying information and the viewer identifying information (i.e., whether they are associated with each other) is set, for example, by the first user at facility B1, transmitted to cloud server 100, and stored in advance in the database of storage unit 130.

[0029] Processor 120 further determines whether to approve the viewing request based on the disclosed property information corresponding to the medical images of the target patient, e.g., by determining the status of the disclosed property information, and approves or denies the viewing request based on the determination result. In one or more embodiments, processor 120 may make the determination based on a first status, a second status, or a third status. For example, processor 120 (1) determines that the disclosed property information indicates a first status and denies the viewing request, (2) determines that the disclosed property information indicates a second status and approves the viewing request, or (3) determines that the disclosed property information indicates a third status and approves the viewing information only under predetermined conditions (described below).

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the predetermined conditions may be set by any affiliated facility and transmitted to the cloud server. Thus, for example, the predetermined conditions may be set by a first user at facility B1, transmitted to cloud server 100, and stored in advance in the database of storage unit 130.

[0031] The predetermined condition may also be defined in various ways to address the needs and preferences of affiliated facilities and their users. For example, the predetermined condition may be that the target patient has a history of making at least one formal appointment (e.g., a doctor's appointment) with two or more affiliated facilities. Thus, in one or more embodiments, the predetermined condition may be met when the target patient has made at least one appointment with not only a first user at facility B1 but also a second user at facility B2. As another example, the predetermined condition may be that a user at one affiliated facility has previously given permission to a user at another facility to view the target patient's patient information. Thus, in one or more embodiments, the predetermined condition may be met when a first user at facility B1 has previously given permission to a second user at facility B2 to view the target patient's patient information.

[0032] When the disclosed property information indicates the second status, processor 120 approves the second user's request to view the patient information and transmits the patient information of the target patient to facility B2, the source of the request. Processor 120 performs similar processing when the disclosed property information indicates the third status and a predetermined condition is met.

[0033] Additionally, in one or more embodiments, a predetermined time limit for the user to view the patient information may be set. In one or more embodiments, processor 120 sets the predetermined time limit for the second user to view the patient information. In this case, processor 120 transmits the predetermined time limit setting to facility B2, which allows the second user to view the patient information within the predetermined time limit. After the predetermined time limit has elapsed, the status of the patient information automatically reverts to its original state, i.e., a status that prohibits disclosure of the patient information to the second user.

[0034] The predetermined time limit may be set to any length depending on the circumstances. In one or more embodiments, this length may be 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, etc. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the predetermined time limit is set by the patient or a medical professional at facility A, or by a first user at facility B1, and transmitted to cloud server 100 and stored in advance in a database in storage unit 130.

[0035] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , in one or more embodiments, processor 120 receives a filtering request sent by a second user from facility B2, which is the source of the viewing request. The filtering request requests cloud server 100 to allow the second user to view one or more pieces of patient information from the plurality of pieces of patient information. The filtering request may include, for example, target item information and viewer identification information. The target item information identifies one or more pieces of patient information from the plurality of pieces of patient information (e.g., patient name, date of birth, examination date, examination site, medical image).

[0036] Upon receiving the filtering request, the processor 120 searches the database in the storage unit 130 for the one or more pieces of patient information, and transmits the one or more pieces of patient information to the facility B2 that sent the filtering request.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, processor 120 may associate disclosure prohibition information with medical images in storage unit 130. The disclosure prohibition information indicates whether patient information is prohibited from being disclosed. Processor 120 may determine whether patient information is prohibited from being disclosed based on the disclosure prohibition information. If processor 120 determines that patient information is prohibited from being disclosed, processor 120 prohibits disclosure of the patient information regardless of the determination based on the disclosure property information. The disclosure prohibition information may be set, for example, by the patient or a medical professional at facility A, or by a first user at facility B1, and transmitted to cloud server 100 and stored in advance in a database in storage unit 130.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the processor 120 may be configured with a web client (web-CL) application for the universal viewer computing device 110 that allows each of the facilities (facility ACs) to access the universal viewer application via a web browser. For example, the universal viewer application may be accessed as a web page by entering a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) (e.g., a web address) associated with the web client into a search bar in a web browser.

[0039] In one or more embodiments, the storage unit 130 is configured as a telemedicine repository that remotely stores databases on the cloud server 100. For example, the telemedicine repository may be a virtual data room (VDR) or a database (or databases) that are remotely accessed over the internet.

[0040] The database of the storage unit 130 stores (1) patient information including medical images, patient personal information, and personal examination information, (2) examination order information, (3) disclosure property information, and (4) disclosure prohibition information. As described above, the database may also store associations between first user identification information and viewer identification information, predetermined conditions for approval of viewing information, and predetermined time limits for when second users are permitted to view the patient information.

[0041] 2 to 5 show example tables of a database stored in storage unit 130 in one or more embodiments.

[0042] 2 illustrates a table of patient information according to one or more embodiments, which includes individual examination information (examination ID), patient personal information (patient ID), and medical images (medical data).

[0043] 3 illustrates a table of personal exam information according to one or more embodiments. The personal exam information includes an exam ID (e.g., "111," "222," "333," etc.), an order ID (e.g., "Order 1," "Order 2," "Order 3," etc.), an exam location (e.g., "Leg," "Head," "Chest," etc.), and a doctor / radiologist (e.g., "Doctor X," "Radiologist Y," "Doctor Z," etc.). Although not shown, the personal exam information may also include medical records, including exam results, exam reports, etc.

[0044] 4 illustrates a table of patient personal information in one or more embodiments. The patient personal information includes a patient ID (e.g., "Patient 1," "Patient 2," "Patient 3," etc.), a flag (e.g., "1," "2," "3," etc.), a patient name (e.g., "Taro," "Hanako," "Jiro," etc.), a gender (e.g., "Male," "Female," "Male," etc.), and a date of birth (e.g., "January 1, 1980," "April 1, 2010," "June 30, 1995," etc.). In one or more embodiments, the disclosure property information is a flag indicating a status of "1," which prohibits disclosure of the patient information to a second user; "2," which permits disclosure of the patient information to a second user; or "3," which permits disclosure of the patient information to a second user only under certain conditions.

[0045] 5 illustrates a table of flags for disclosure property information in one or more embodiments. The table indicates the statuses "1: Rejected," "2: Approved," and "3: Conditionally Approved."

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the cloud gateway (GW) device 140 may be a hub or local area network (LAN) of the facility where the cloud server 100 is physically located. The cloud GW device 140 may be configured as a relay point between the cloud server 100 and the medical institutions (facilities A to C) that allows each medical institution (facilities A to C) to communicate with the cloud server 100 and share (retrieve and send) medical images.

[0047] [facility] (Medical institutions with imaging devices) 1 , the system 1000 further includes, at facility A, a local computing device 200 (i.e., a local computer) and an imaging device 300 connected or detachably attached to the local computing device 200. Facility A may be any type of facility that takes medical images of patients and provides medical treatment, such as a public hospital, a university hospital, or a national hospital.

[0048] The local computing device 200 may be a personal computer (PC), a laptop, a server, etc. In one or more embodiments, the local computing device 200 may include a processor 210, a memory unit (storage) 220, a universal viewer client application 230, an input / output interface 240, and a local gateway (GW) device 250.

[0049] The processor 210 manages medical images captured by the imaging device 300 and stored in the memory unit 220. The universal viewer client application 230 displays content related to the universal viewer client application 230 (e.g., GUI, medical images, etc.) via the input / output interface 240 and receives input instructions via the input / output interface 240. The input / output interface 240 may include a touch screen, keyboard, microphone, touchpad, electronic pen, or any other input device. The input / output interface 240 may also include a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display, touch screen, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, projector, or any other display device), printer, external storage, or any other output device. The local GW device 250 synchronizes locally managed and stored data to the cloud server 100.

[0050] The imaging device 300 may be any type of imaging device, such as a portable radiographic imaging device, a cassette-type digital X-ray imaging device, etc. The number of imaging devices is not limited to the example shown in the figure.

[0051] When the examination order information is received from the facility B1, the processor 210 returns the medical images captured by the imaging device 300 to the facility B1. Furthermore, the processor 210 transmits the medical images to the cloud server 100 together with the patient's personal information and personal examination information.

[0052] The storage unit 220 can store examination order information, patient information including medical images, patient personal information, and individual examination information.

[0053] (Affiliated facilities) 1 , in one or more embodiments, the system 1000 includes local computing devices 400B1, B2 (e.g., local computers) at facilities B1, B2. The facilities B1, B2 may be any type of facility providing medical care, such as a public hospital, a private doctor's office, a clinic, a dental clinic, an emergency vehicle (e.g., an ambulance), a mobile clinic, etc. Each of the local computing devices 400B1, B2 may be a personal computer (PC), a laptop, a mobile computing device (e.g., a tablet PC, a smartphone, etc.), a server, a mainframe, a kiosk, etc.

[0054] In one or more embodiments, the local computing devices 400B1, B2 include processors 410B1, B2, memory units (storage) 420B1, B2, universal viewer client applications 430B1, B2, and input / output interfaces 440B1, B2, and have substantially similar functionality to these elements in the local computing device 200. The local computing devices 400B1, B2 in the facilities B1, B2 need only include the minimum system necessary to share (obtain and transmit) data with the universal viewer computing device 110, such as the universal viewer client applications 430B1, B2.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, the processor 410B1 transmits test order information to facility A based on input by the first user via the input / output interface 440B1. Upon receiving the medical images from facility A, the processor 410B1 may store the medical images in the memory unit 420B1.

[0056] Furthermore, the processor 410B2 sends a browsing request to the cloud server 100 based on an input by the second user via the input / output interface 440B2. The processor 410B2 also sends a filtering request to the cloud server 100 based on an input by the second user via the input / output interface 440B2.

[0057] When the cloud server 100 allows the second user to view the patient information, the processor 410B2 receives the patient information from the cloud server 100, and the input / output interface 440B2 displays the patient information on the screen.

[0058] In one or more embodiments, the local computing devices 400B1 and 400B2 may be zero-footprint client terminals. Zero-footprint client terminals are independent of a specific operating system (OS), and applications delivered from the cloud server 100 do not leave footprints (data) on the zero-footprint client terminals. Some zero-footprint client terminals store application data as a cache. For example, zero-footprint client terminals used at affiliated facilities do not store patient data, but instead store data in the browser as a browser cache. Such browser applications include HTML5 and JavaScript. Because zero-footprint client terminals do not require large capacity to store patient information, they are suitable for facilities B1 and B2. This eliminates the risk of information leakage and ensures proper security of patient images.

[0059] [Viewing request approval process based on disclosed property information] Next, approval of a viewing request based on disclosed property information, i.e., flags, in one or more embodiments will be described with reference to Figure 6. In the example of Figure 6, the second user belongs to facility B2 as well as facility B3. For simplicity, cloud server 100 is not shown.

[0060] In FIG. 6, in response to examination order information (orders 1 to 3) from facility B1, the cloud server 100 acquires medical images of three patients (patients 1 to 3) from facility A in three examinations (examinations 111 to 333).

[0061] In the storage unit 130 of the cloud server 100, the flag corresponding to the first medical image of the examination 111 is set to "1: Reject." The flag corresponding to the second medical image of the examination 222 is set to "2: Approved." The flag corresponding to the third medical image of the examination 333 is set to "3: Conditionally Approved." The predetermined condition is met if the target patient has made at least one appointment not only at facility B1 but also at facility B2 or B2.

[0062] In this case, because the first user requested medical images from facility B1, he or she can view all medical images for exams 111 to 333. Although the flag for the first medical image is "1: Reject" and the flag for the third medical image is "3: Conditionally Accepted," because patient 3 has never made an appointment with facility B2, the second user at facility B2 can only view the second medical image for exam 222. On the other hand, because patient 3 has made at least one appointment with facility B3, the second user at facility B3 can view the second and third medical images for exams 222 and 333.

[0063] [Operation at affiliated facilities] Next, the operation of transmitting a browsing request and a filtering request will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows an example of a screenshot of a screen displayed on the input / output interface 440B2 of facility B2.

[0064] To send a viewing request to the cloud server 100, the second user enters the common ID and / or password of facility B2 on the first login screen. Once the common ID / password is entered, a first patient list of patients A and B is displayed on the first patient list screen for viewing patient information. The first patient list screen also displays a button for requesting viewing of patient information for patient C. The second user of facility B2 has previously requested medical images of patients A and B, but has never requested images of patient C.

[0065] When the second user presses the request to view button, a security warning screen is displayed with a disclaimer that the second user is responsible for preventing the leakage of patient information of Patient C. The second user can agree to the disclaimer by pressing the OK button on the security warning screen.

[0066] When the OK button is pressed, a second login screen is displayed, prompting the second user to enter the second user's individual ID and / or password.

[0067] The second login screen may further prompt the second user to input one or more reasons for viewing the medical images. The viewing reasons may arise due to an emergency situation or need at facility B2. For example, the second user may need to urgently view the medical images while in an ambulance. Another example may be that the second user needs to view the medical images on behalf of the first user who is on vacation or has retired.

[0068] In one or more embodiments, the access history is stored in a database in storage 420B2 and transmitted to cloud server 100. The access history may include the reason for viewing, the ID / password of the second user, the medical images viewed by the second user, the time of access, the duration of access, and whether the access was successful or unsuccessful.

[0069] 7, when the second user inputs the unique ID / password and the reason for viewing, the second patient list screen displays a second patient list of patients A to C for viewing patient information. The medical images of patient C are flagged as “2: Approved” in the memory unit 130 of the cloud server 100.

[0070] When patient C is selected on the second patient list screen, a patient information screen for patient C is displayed. The patient information screen may include input boxes corresponding to multiple items of patient information. In one or more embodiments, the input boxes include "A: Patient Name," "B: Date of Birth," "C: Examination Status," "D: Account Number," "E: Examination Status," "F: Examination Area," "G: Medical Image," and "H: Zip Code."

[0071] In one or more embodiments, the patient information screen may have a filtering function. When the second user checks one or more input boxes (e.g., "F: Examination Area" and "G: Medical Image") and presses the confirm button, the patient information screen displays only the patient information corresponding to the selected input boxes (e.g., "Examination Area: Chest" and medical images of the chest). In one or more embodiments, when the second user enters known information (e.g., a postal code) into at least one box and presses the confirm button, the patient information screen also displays other information in the remaining boxes. This allows the second user to obtain the necessary patient information while protecting the security of the patient information.

[0072] [Viewing control method] A browsing control method according to one or more embodiments is described with reference to Figure 8. One or more steps of Figure 8 may be performed by components of system 1000 described above with reference to Figure 1. In one or more embodiments, one or more steps shown in Figure 8 may be omitted, repeated, and / or performed in a different order than that shown in Figure 8. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular ordering of steps shown in Figure 8.

[0073] First, when a medical image is received from facility A (step S801), the cloud server 100 associates the medical image with examination order information and adds the medical image and examination order information to the patient information stored in the database of the memory unit 130 (step S802).

[0074] Upon receiving the viewing request from facility B1 or B2, cloud server 100 determines whether the viewer identification information matches or is related to the first user identification information (S804).

[0075] If it is determined that the viewer identification information matches or is related to the first user identification information (step S804: YES), the cloud server 100 approves the view request, and the process proceeds to step S808.

[0076] If it is determined that the browser identification information does not match or relate to the first user identification information (S804: NO), approval processing is executed (step S805).

[0077] If it is determined as a result of the approval process that the viewing request should be rejected (step S806: NO), the cloud server 100 notifies the facility B2 of the result and ends the process.

[0078] On the other hand, if it is determined that the browsing request is approved (step S806: YES), the process proceeds to the next step, where the cloud server 100 determines whether or not a filtering request has been received (step S808).

[0079] When the filtering request is received (step S808: YES), the cloud server 100 searches the database of the storage unit 130 for the patient information selected by the filtering request (step S809). Then, the cloud server 100 transmits the selected patient information to facility B2 (step S810), and the process ends.

[0080] If a filtering request has not been received (step S808: NO), the cloud server 100 transmits the patient information without searching for specific items of the patient information (step S810), and the process ends.

[0081] The authorization process will now be described with reference to Figure 9. One or more steps of Figure 9 may be performed by components of system 1000 described above with reference to Figure 1. In one or more embodiments, one or more steps shown in Figure 9 may be omitted, repeated, and / or performed in a different order than that shown in Figure 9. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular ordering of steps shown in Figure 9.

[0082] When the view request is received, the cloud server 100 checks the status of the patient information by referring to the flag (step S901).

[0083] First, the cloud server 100 determines whether the flag indicates the first status (step S902).

[0084] If the cloud server 100 determines that the flag indicates the first status (step S902: YES), it determines to deny the browse request (step S907), and the process ends. If the cloud server 100 determines that the flag does not indicate the first status (step S902: NO), the process proceeds to the next step.

[0085] Next, the cloud server 100 determines whether the flag indicates the second status (step S903). If it is determined that the flag indicates the second status (step S903: YES), the cloud server 100 decides to approve the browse request (step S908), and the process ends. If it is determined that the flag does not indicate the second status (step S903: NNO), the process proceeds to the next step.

[0086] Next, the cloud server 100 determines whether the flag indicates the third status (step S904). If it determines that the flag does not indicate the third status (step S904: NO), the cloud server 100 determines to reject the browse request (step S907), and the process ends. If it determines that the flag indicates the third status (step S904: YES), the process proceeds to the next step.

[0087] Next, the cloud server 100 determines whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied (step S905). If it determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied (step S905: NO), the cloud server 100 determines to reject the browsing request (step S907), and the process ends. If it determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied (step S905: YES), the process proceeds to the next step.

[0088] Then, the cloud server 100 checks whether viewing of the patient information is prohibited by referring to the disclosure prohibition information (step S906). If it is determined that the disclosure prohibition information prohibits viewing (step S906: YES), the cloud server 100 determines to deny the viewing request (step S907), and the process ends. If it is determined that the disclosure prohibition information does not prohibit viewing (step S906: NO), the cloud server 100 determines to approve the viewing request (step S908), and the process ends.

[0089] Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in virtually any type of computing system, regardless of the platform used. For example, a computing system may be one or more mobile devices (e.g., a laptop computer, a smartphone, a digital personal assistant, a tablet computer, or other mobile device), a desktop computer, a server, a blade in a server chassis, or any other type of computing device or device that includes at least the minimum processing power, memory, input, and output devices required to execute one or more embodiments. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , a computing system 1001 may include one or more processors 1002, associated memory 1003 (e.g., random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory, etc.), one or more storage devices 1004 (e.g., hard disks, optical drives such as compact disc (CD) drives or digital versatile disc (DVD) drives, flash memory sticks, etc.), and other elements and functions. The computer processor 1002 may be an integrated circuit for processing instructions. For example, the computer processor may be one or more cores or micro-cores of a computer. The computer system 1001 may include one or more input devices 1006, such as a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, touchpad, electronic pen, or any other type of input device. Additionally, the computing system 1001 may include one or more output devices 1005, such as a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display, touchscreen, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, projector, or any other display device), printer, external storage, or any other output device. The output device(s) may be the same as or different from the input device(s).The computing system 1001 may be connected to a network 1007 (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a mobile network, or any other type of network) via a network interface connection (not shown). Input and output devices may be connected locally or remotely (e.g., via the network 1007) to the computer 1002, memory 1003, and storage device 1004. Many different types of computer systems exist, and the aforementioned input and output devices may take other forms.

[0090] Software instructions in the form of computer-readable program code for carrying out embodiments of the present invention may be stored, in whole or in part, temporarily or permanently on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a CD, DVD, storage device, diskette, tape, flash memory, physical memory, or any other type of computer-readable storage medium. In particular, the software instructions may correspond to computer-readable program code that, when executed by a processor, is configured to carry out embodiments of the present invention.

[0091] Additionally, one or more elements of the computing system 1001 may be located remotely and connected to other elements via a network 1007. Furthermore, one or more embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a distributed system having multiple nodes, with portions of the present invention located on different nodes within the distributed system. In one embodiment of the present invention, a node corresponds to a separate computing device. Alternatively, a node may correspond to a computer with associated physical memory. Alternatively, a node may be a computer processor or a microcore of a computer processor with shared memory and / or resources.

[0092] In one or more embodiments, the method, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and system provide various improvements to browsing technologies in the medical field. For example, a cloud server determines whether to approve a request to view patient information from a first user or a second user based on test order information or disclosure property information. According to this feature, a request to view patient information from a first user can be approved based on test order information, and a request to view patient information from a second user can be conditionally approved based on disclosure property information. As a result, a second user who has not requested a test can also view patient information under certain conditions. In this way, a second user can view patient information, for example, in the event of a medical need and / or emergency, thereby improving the usability of the system while protecting the security of the patient information.

[0093] According to one or more embodiments, the cloud server approves the viewing request not only if the viewer identifier matches the first user identifier, but also if the viewer identifier is associated with the first user identifier. This feature improves access to patient information while protecting the security of the patient information.

[0094] According to one or more embodiments, if a predetermined time limit is set, the second user can only view the patient information within the predetermined time limit. This feature allows the second user who has not requested the test to view the patient information only under exceptional circumstances (e.g., a medical emergency), thereby adequately protecting the security of the patient information. After the predetermined time limit has elapsed, the status of the patient information automatically reverts to a status that prohibits disclosure of the patient information to the second user. This feature further improves the usability of the system.

[0095] According to one or more embodiments, a filtering request may be sent to allow a first or second user to view only specific items of patient information. This feature allows a first or second user to view only the patient information they need, providing information efficiency through the system.

[0096] According to one or more embodiments, the cloud server determines whether to approve the request based on the non-disclosure information regardless of the decision based on the disclosure property information. This feature better protects the security of patient information.

[0097] While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having the benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of patient information in a system for sharing the patient information among a cloud server including a storage, a medical institution including an imaging device, and a plurality of affiliated facilities, the method comprising: the cloud server, the medical institution, and the affiliated facility are connected to each other via a network; The method comprises: receiving, from the medical institution, medical images created by the imaging device in response to examination order information including first user identification information transmitted by a first user from one of the affiliated facilities; associating the received medical images with the examination order information and adding the medical images and the examination order information to the patient information stored in the storage; associating the medical image with disclosure property information in the storage, the disclosure property information indicating whether patient information is permitted to be disclosed to a second user; receiving a request to view the patient information from one of the affiliated facilities, the request including viewer identification information, the request being sent by the first user or the second user; determining whether to approve the viewing request based on the test order information or the disclosure property information; The first user or the second user approves the request to view the patient information and transmits the patient information to the one of the affiliated facilities that sent the request; Including, The determination of whether to approve the viewing request includes: The method includes determining whether the viewer identification matches the first user identification or is set by the first user to be associated with the first user.

2. the disclosed property information indicates a status of the patient information, which is one of a first status, a second status, or a third status; the first status prohibits disclosure of the patient information to the second user; the second status permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user; the third status permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user only under predetermined conditions; The method of claim 1.

3. setting a predetermined time limit for which the second user is permitted to view the patient information; and transmitting the predetermined time limit setting to the one of the affiliated facilities to permit the second user to view the patient information within the predetermined time limit. The method of claim 1.

4. receiving a filtering request from the one affiliated facility to view one or more of the patient information of the plurality of patient information; searching the one or more databases of patient information; and transmitting the one or more pieces of patient information to the one of the affiliated facilities. The method of claim 1.

5. a step of associating disclosure prohibition information indicating whether disclosure of the patient information is prohibited with the medical image in the storage; determining whether to prohibit disclosure of the patient information based on the disclosure prohibition information; prohibiting the patient information from being disclosed regardless of the determination made based on the disclosure property information. The method of claim 1.

6. A program that causes a cloud server to perform an operation for managing a plurality of pieces of patient information in a system in which patient information is shared among a cloud server including a storage, a medical institution including an imaging device, and a plurality of affiliated facilities, the program comprising: the cloud server, the medical institution, and the affiliated facility are connected to each other via a network; The operation is performed by the cloud server. receiving, from the medical institution, medical images created by the imaging device in accordance with examination order information including first user identification information transmitted by a first user from one of the affiliated facilities; Associating the received medical image with the examination order information, and adding the medical image and the examination order information to the patient information stored in the storage; Associating the medical image with disclosure property information in the storage indicating whether patient information is permitted to be disclosed to a second user; receiving a request to view the patient information sent by the first user or the second user from one of the affiliated facilities, the request including viewer identification information; determining whether to approve the request for viewing based on the test order information or the disclosure property information; The first user or the second user approves the request to view the patient information, and transmits the patient information to the one affiliated facility that sent the request; When determining whether to approve the viewing request, the cloud server determines whether the viewer identification information matches the first user identification information or is set by the first user to be associated with the first user.

7. the disclosed property information indicates a status of the patient information, which is one of a first status, a second status, or a third status; the first status prohibits disclosure of the patient information to the second user; the second status permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user; the third status permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user only under predetermined conditions; The program according to claim 6.

8. The operation is further performed by the cloud server: setting a predetermined time limit for allowing the second user to view the patient information; transmitting a setting of the predetermined time limit to the one of the affiliated facilities to permit the second user to view the patient information within the predetermined time limit; The program according to claim 6.

9. The operation is further performed by the cloud server: receiving a filtering request from one of the affiliated facilities to view one or more of the patient information of the plurality of the patient information; searching the one or more databases of patient information; transmitting the one or more pieces of patient information to the one of the affiliated facilities; The program according to claim 6.

10. The operation is further performed by the cloud server: associate disclosure prohibition information indicating whether disclosure of the patient information is prohibited with the medical image in the storage; determining whether to prohibit disclosure of the patient information based on the disclosure prohibition information; prohibiting the patient information from being disclosed regardless of the determination made based on the disclosed property information; The program according to claim 6.

11. A system for managing information on multiple patients, The system comprises: a cloud server including storage; a medical institution including an imaging device; including multiple affiliated facilities, The system shares the patient information between the cloud server, the medical institution, and the plurality of affiliated facilities via a network, The cloud server receiving, from the medical institution, medical images created by the imaging device in accordance with examination order information including first user identification information transmitted by a first user from one of the affiliated facilities; Associating the received medical image with the examination order information, and adding the medical image and the examination order information to the patient information stored in the storage; Associating the medical image with disclosure property information in the storage indicating whether patient information is permitted to be disclosed to a second user; receiving a request to view the patient information sent by the first user or the second user from one of the affiliated facilities, the request including viewer identification information; determining whether to approve the request for viewing based on the test order information or the disclosure property information; The first user or the second user approves the request to view the patient information, and transmits the patient information to the one affiliated facility that sent the request; When determining whether to approve the viewing request, the cloud server determines whether the viewer identification information matches the first user identification information or is set by the first user to be associated with the first user. system.

12. the disclosed property information indicates a status of the patient information, which is one of a first status, a second status, or a third status; the first status prohibits disclosure of the patient information to the second user; the second status permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user; the third status permits disclosure of the patient information to the second user only under predetermined conditions; The system of claim 11.

13. The cloud server further setting a predetermined time limit for allowing the second user to view the patient information; transmitting a setting of the predetermined time limit to the one of the affiliated facilities to permit the second user to view the patient information within the predetermined time limit; The system of claim 11.

14. The cloud server further receiving a filtering request from one of the affiliated facilities to view one or more of the patient information of the plurality of the patient information; searching the one or more databases of patient information; transmitting the one or more pieces of patient information to the one of the affiliated facilities; The system of claim 11.

15. The cloud server further associate disclosure prohibition information indicating whether disclosure of the patient information is prohibited with the medical image in the storage; determining whether to prohibit disclosure of the patient information based on the disclosure prohibition information; prohibiting the patient information from being disclosed regardless of the determination made based on the disclosed property information; The system of claim 11.

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