Medical information management device, medical information management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a medical information management device, a medical information management method, and a program that allow optimal management of medical information according to a change of a clinical phase.SOLUTION: In a medical facility, a medical information management device 1 has an acquisition function 11, a determination function 12, and a decision function 13. The acquisition function 11 acquires information on a clinical phase of a subject, and meta data of clinical data of the subject. The determination function 12 determines the degree of necessity of the clinical data based on the acquired clinical phase information and meta data. The decision function 13 decides a storage destination of the clinical data based on the determined degree of necessity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings relate to a medical information management device, a medical information management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the improvement of the resolution of medical images and the like, an increase in the data storage amount of clinical data including medical images has become a problem. In response to this, methods for appropriately storing various data have been proposed. For example, a method is known in which the browsing frequency is calculated after a certain period has elapsed since the generation of data, data with a high browsing frequency is stored in a storage that enables high-speed access, and data with a low browsing frequency is stored in a general-purpose low-speed storage, and an optimal data storage destination is determined according to the browsing frequency. In addition, a method is known in which the browsing frequency of data is manually input at the time of data generation, and an optimal data storage destination is determined according to the browsing frequency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to changes in the clinical phase of a patient, the importance and necessity of clinical data change, and as a result, the browsing frequency of the data changes. In the conventional method, the importance and necessity of data are inferred from the browsing frequency, but this is based on past performance. Therefore, even if the importance and necessity of clinical data decrease after a change in the clinical phase, the data storage destination is determined based on the browsing frequency before the change immediately after the change in the clinical phase, and an optimal data arrangement has not been realized.

[0005] One could consider calculating viewing frequency starting from the point when the clinical phase changes, but immediately after a change in clinical phase, most data has no viewing history, so there was a risk of moving even data that is still needed after the change to slow storage. Another option is to manually enter viewing frequency, but this would be time-consuming, and it would not be easy to estimate how the importance and necessity of clinical data will change in the future.

[0006] The problem that the embodiments disclosed herein and in the drawings aim to solve is to enable optimal management of medical information in response to changes in the clinical phase. However, the problems that the embodiments disclosed herein and in the drawings aim to solve are not limited to the above problem. Problems corresponding to the effects of each configuration shown in the embodiments described later can also be positioned as other problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The medical information management device of this embodiment includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a decision unit. The acquisition unit acquires the subject's clinical phase information and metadata of the subject's clinical data. The determination unit determines the necessity of the clinical data based on the acquired clinical phase information and metadata. The decision unit determines the storage location of the clinical data based on the determined necessity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of a medical information management system S1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of a functional block of the medical information management device 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of input and output data for the determination model M according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of data storage processing by the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 5]A flowchart illustrating an example of data transfer or deletion processing by the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing an example of data transfer or deletion processing by the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes the embodiment of the medical information management device, medical information management method, and program with reference to the drawings. The embodiment of the medical information management device determines the importance (necessity) of medical information (also called "clinical data") in accordance with changes in the clinical phase, and determines an appropriate storage location for the clinical data based on the determination result.

[0010] In this specification, the term "clinical phase" refers to a classification of medical procedures and related events performed on a patient, such as examinations, tests, and treatments, according to their content. Clinical phases include, for example, stages such as detection and recognition of a problem, scheduling an appointment, tests, diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment, and follow-up.

[0011] Clinical data refers to medical information, diagnostic information, etc., obtained through examinations, tests, treatments, etc. Clinical data includes, for example, images, videos, and 3D image data obtained from devices such as CT (Computed Tomography) devices, MR (Magnetic Resonance) devices, X-ray devices, ultrasound devices, angiography devices, and pathology devices, as well as waveform data obtained from wearable sensors and vital sign devices, and numerical data obtained from blood tests, etc.

[0012] Clinical data can be stored in various locations, including, for example, multiple storage devices within a single medical facility, storage devices located outside a medical facility (e.g., cloud servers), multiple storage devices located in medical facilities other than the one where the medical information management system is installed, storage devices owned by patients, storage devices owned by public institutions, and storage devices managed by companies such as life insurance companies. In the following explanation, we will use the example of cases where clinical data is stored in multiple storage devices within a single medical facility or multiple storage devices located in other medical facilities.

[0013] [Configuration of the medical information management system] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a medical information management system S1 according to an embodiment. In the medical information management system S, multiple medical facilities are connected to each other via a communication network NW, enabling data communication. In the example shown in Figure 1, a first medical facility F1, a second medical facility F2, and a third medical facility F3 are shown, but the number of medical facilities is arbitrary. Medical facilities include, for example, hospitals, clinics, health checkup centers, and other medical institutions. The following description will focus on the processing in various devices installed in the first medical facility F1.

[0014] A communication network (NW) refers to all information and communication networks that utilize telecommunications technology. This includes wireless / wired LANs such as hospital backbone LANs (Local Area Networks), the Internet, as well as telephone communication lines, fiber optic communication networks, cable communication networks, and satellite communication networks.

[0015] Medical facility F1 is equipped with, for example, a medical information management device 1, a clinical support device WN, an electronic medical record system EM, a diagnostic device DA, a high-speed storage device HS1, and a low-speed storage device LS1. Medical information management device 1 manages clinical data. Medical information management device 1 is used by users such as data managers, doctors, nurses, and staff working at medical facility F1. Medical information management device 1 is a computer such as a personal computer or a data management server.

[0016] The medical support device WN provides information for supporting medical treatment (hereinafter referred to as "medical support information") to doctors and the like. The medical support device WN is, for example, a work navigator. The medical support device WN predicts the condition of a patient based on, for example, clinical data, clinical phase information, medical record description information, etc., and creates and presents a clinical plan. The clinical plan includes, for example, the order of examinations necessary to reach a definitive diagnosis, the content and procedures of treatment after the definitive diagnosis, etc. Further, the medical support device WN grasps the implementation status of the presented examination or treatment plan, and updates the plan as necessary when new information is obtained. The medical support device WN transmits the medical support information to the medical information management device 1.

[0017] The electronic medical record system EM is a device that manages and stores the electronic medical records of each patient. In the electronic medical record, medical histories related to medical treatment such as the patient's medical history and drug history are recorded.

[0018] The diagnostic device DA is a device that acquires the clinical data of a patient. The diagnostic device DA is, for example, a device such as a CT device, an MR device, an X-ray device, an ultrasonic device, an angiographic device, or a pathology device.

[0019] The high-speed storage HS1 and the low-speed storage LS1 are storage devices that store clinical data. The high-speed storage HS1 is a storage device that enables high-speed access. The high-speed storage HS is, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive). The high-speed storage HS1 is an expensive storage device. Mainly, data with a high browsing frequency is stored in the high-speed storage HS1. The low-speed storage LS1 is a storage device with a slower access speed than the high-speed storage HS1. The low-speed storage LS1 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The low-speed storage LS1 is a storage device cheaper than the high-speed storage HS1. Mainly, data with a low browsing frequency is stored in the low-speed storage LS1.

[0020] <The second medical facility F2 is provided with, for example, a high-speed storage HS2 and a low-speed storage LS2. The third medical facility F3 is provided with, for example, a high-speed storage HS3 and a low-speed storage LS3. The second medical facility F2 and the third medical facility F3 may also be provided with a medical information management device 1 or the like.

[0021] [Configuration of Medical Information Management Device] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment. The medical information management device 1 includes, for example, a processing circuit 10, a communication interface 20, an input interface 30, a display 40, and a memory 50. The communication interface 20 communicates with the second medical facility F2, the third medical facility F3, etc. via a communication network NW. Also, the communication interface 20 communicates with the medical support device WN, the electronic medical record system EM, the diagnostic device DA, the high-speed storage HS1, and the low-speed storage LS1 via a hospital backbone LAN or the like. The communication interface 20 includes, for example, a communication interface such as a NIC (Network Interface Card).

[0022] The input interface 30 receives various input operations from the user of the medical information management device 1, converts the received input operations into electrical signals, and outputs them to the processing circuit 10. For example, the input interface 30 includes a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball, a switch, a button, a joystick, a touch panel, etc. The input interface 30 may be, for example, a user interface that receives voice input such as a microphone.

[0023] Note that in this specification, the input interface is not limited to only those having physical operation components such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, an electrical signal processing circuit that receives an electrical signal corresponding to an input operation from an external input device provided separately from the device and outputs this electrical signal to the control circuit is also included in the examples of the input interface.

[0024] The display 40 displays various types of information. For example, the display 40 displays images generated by the processing circuit 10, or a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for accepting various input operations from the user. For example, the display 40 may be an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0025] The processing circuit 10 includes, for example, an acquisition function 11, a judgment function 12, a decision function 13, a data management function 14, and a display control function 15. The processing circuit 10 realizes these functions, for example, by a hardware processor (computer) executing a program stored in the memory 50 (storage circuit).

[0026] A hardware processor refers to circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and programmable logic devices (e.g., Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), or Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). Instead of storing the program in memory 50, the hardware processor may be configured to directly incorporate the program into its circuitry. In this case, the hardware processor performs its functions by reading and executing the program incorporated into the circuitry. The program may be stored in memory 50 beforehand, or it may be stored in a non-temporary storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed from the non-temporary storage medium to memory 50 when the non-temporary storage medium is mounted in the drive device (not shown) of the medical information management device 1. The hardware processor is not limited to being configured as a single circuit; it may be configured as a single hardware processor by combining multiple independent circuits to realize each function. Alternatively, multiple components may be integrated into a single hardware processor to realize each function.

[0027] The acquisition function 11 acquires clinical data to be stored and clinical metadata associated with the clinical data from the diagnostic device DA via the communication interface 20. The acquisition function 11 also acquires clinical phase information associated with the clinical data from the medical support device WN via the communication interface 20.

[0028] The acquisition function 11 is an example of an "acquisition unit." Specifically, the acquisition function 11 acquires the subject's clinical phase information and the subject's clinical data clinical metadata (metadata). The acquisition function 11 also acquires facility information for candidate facilities where the clinical data will be stored.

[0029] Clinical metadata is data (ancillary information) that describes information about clinical data. Clinical metadata includes, for example, information automatically set by the diagnostic device DA and information set by the operator of the diagnostic device DA. Clinical metadata is information that can be traced back to the clinical data. Clinical metadata includes, for example, the purpose of the examination (screening, definitive examination, follow-up, etc.), the examination site (head, neck, abdomen, etc.), the area of ​​focus (liver, pancreas, kidney, etc.), the examination device (CT, MRI, ultrasound, VL, pathology, etc.), the status of clinical data acquisition (data acquisition location (map), time, etc.), the location of clinical data storage (high-speed storage HS1, low-speed storage LS1, etc.), the person who performed the examination (doctor's name, technician's name, patient themselves, family, automated, etc.), and patient information (name, gender, age, address, occupation, etc.).

[0030] The judgment function 12 determines the future importance (necessity) of the acquired clinical data. The judgment function 12 determines importance using, for example, a judgment model M. Figure 3 shows an example of the input and output data of the judgment model M according to the embodiment. The judgment model M is a machine learning model (clinical data importance judgment engine) that has learned the relationship between clinical metadata CMD, clinical phase information PI, and clinical standard flow information D1 associated with the clinical data to be judged, and the necessity level N. The judgment model M is a model implemented by a neural network such as a CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). The judgment model M is a supervised learning model based on training data in which the necessity level N information is associated as a label with the clinical metadata CMD, clinical phase information PI, and clinical standard flow information D1. The clinical standard flow information D1 shows the standard clinical flow for each facility regarding diseases and tests.

[0031] The judgment function 12 is an example of a "judgment unit." Specifically, the judgment function 12 determines the degree of necessity of clinical data based on acquired clinical phase information and metadata. The judgment function 12 determines the degree of necessity for each facility based on clinical phase information, metadata, and facility information. If facility information is insufficient, the judgment function 12 searches for and acquires the necessary facility information via the network. The judgment function 12 determines the degree of necessity using a judgment model M that has been trained to output the degree of necessity when clinical phase information and metadata are input.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the judgment model M outputs a necessity level N when clinical metadata CMD, clinical phase information PI, and clinical standard flow information D1 are input. The judgment function 12 may also input facility information such as facility equipment (Facility A: CT / MR / XR / UL, Facility B: XR / UL, etc.), facility type (acute care, long-term care, etc.), standard guidelines for diseases, patient genetic data, etc., into the judgment model M. The necessity level N may be expressed as a numerical value, or as a level such as high, medium, or low. When facility information is input into the judgment model M, the judgment function 12 determines the necessity level N of the clinical data for each facility. If the need for clinical data is high at facility A and low at facility B in terms of the clinical phase, it may be considered to place the clinical data in the storage of facility A.

[0033] The decision function 13 determines the storage location for clinical data based on the determined necessity level N. For example, if the necessity level N of clinical data stored in high-speed storage HS1 decreases, the decision function 13 decides to use low-speed storage LS1 as the storage location (proposing the movement of data from high-speed storage HS1 to low-speed storage LS1). On the other hand, if the necessity level N of clinical data stored in low-speed storage LS1 increases, the decision function 13 decides to use high-speed storage HS1 as the storage location (proposing the movement of data from low-speed storage LS1 to high-speed storage HS1). The decision function 13 compares the determined necessity level N with a threshold, and determines that clinical data with a necessity level N equal to or greater than the threshold will be stored in high-speed storage HS1. On the other hand, the decision function 13 determines that clinical data with a necessity level N less than the threshold will be stored in low-speed storage LS1.

[0034] The decision function 13 is an example of a "decision unit." Specifically, the decision function 13 determines the storage location for clinical data based on the determined degree of necessity. For clinical data whose degree of necessity is below a threshold, the decision function 13 determines that the data will be stored in the slow storage LS1 (first storage), and for clinical data whose degree of necessity is above the threshold, it determines that the data will be stored in the high-speed storage HS1 (second storage), which can be accessed faster than the first storage.

[0035] The data management function 14 processes the storage of clinical data to the determined storage location. The data management function 14 also moves or deletes stored clinical data. Furthermore, the data management function 14 transfers stored clinical data to other medical facilities.

[0036] The display control function 15 controls the display 40 to display various information, such as a GUI, for accepting various input operations from the user. The display control function 15 also controls the display 40 to display a screen that suggests to the user that the item be stored in the determined storage location.

[0037] Memory 50 stores, for example, a judgment model M, clinical standard flow information D1, and medical facility information D2. Medical facility information D2 includes, for example, information on diagnostic devices installed at each medical facility and information on storage devices. In addition, memory 50 stores programs, parameter data, and other data used by the processing circuit 10. Memory 50 can be implemented by, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and flash memory, a hard disk, or an optical disk. These non-transient storage media may be implemented by other storage devices connected via a communication network NW, such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or an external storage server device. Memory 50 may also include non-transient storage media such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and registers.

[0038] [Examples of determining storage locations based on clinical phase] The following describes an example of determining the storage location according to the clinical phase. <Inspection Phase> 1. Based on the results of the patient's blood test, liver cancer is suspected, so an ultrasound examination is performed. The judgment function 12 inputs the metadata of the ultrasound image data, clinical phase information ("examination phase"), and clinical standard flow information D1 for liver cancer into the judgment model M to determine the necessity level N of the ultrasound image data (necessity level N: high). The decision function 13 determines the storage location to be high-speed storage HS1, and the data management function 14 stores the ultrasound image data in high-speed storage HS1. 2. As a result of the ultrasound examination, the suspicion of liver cancer increased, so a contrast-enhanced CT examination was performed. The judgment function 12 inputs the metadata of the contrast-enhanced CT image data, clinical phase information ("examination phase"), and clinical standard flow information D1 for liver cancer into the judgment model M to determine the necessity level N of the contrast-enhanced CT image data (necessity level N: high), the decision function 13 determines the storage location to be high-speed storage HS1, and the data management function 14 stores the contrast-enhanced CT image data in high-speed storage HS1. 3. As a result of the CT contrast examination, the suspicion of liver cancer increased further, so a post-puncture pathological examination was performed. The judgment function 12 inputs the metadata of the pathological image data, clinical phase information ("examination phase"), and clinical standard flow information D1 for liver cancer into the judgment model M to determine the necessity level N of the pathological image data (necessity level N: high), the decision function 13 determines the storage location to be high-speed storage HS1, and the data management function 14 stores the pathological image data in high-speed storage HS1. Note that when new clinical data is stored in the examination phase, the storage location may be uniformly determined to be high-speed storage HS1 without determining the necessity level. 4. Subsequently, pathological examination results confirmed liver cancer. 5. The diagnosis is recorded in the electronic medical record and registered in the electronic medical record system EM. 6. The WN medical support device reads the electronic medical record registered in the EM electronic medical record system and changes the clinical phase from the "examination phase" to the "treatment phase".

[0039] <Treatment Phase> 7. The judgment function 12 inputs the clinical phase information ("treatment phase") from "6." above, the metadata of the ultrasound image data (examination purpose (screening), examination result, examination device) from "1." above, the metadata of the contrast-enhanced CT image data (examination purpose (screening), examination result, contrast-enhanced stage, examination device) from "2." above, the metadata of the pathology image data (examination purpose (screening), examination result, examination device) from "3." above, and the clinical standard flow information D1 for liver cancer at the relevant medical facility into the judgment model M and determines the degree of necessity N for each clinical data. 7.1. The clinical metadata for each clinical data set includes the following information: • Ultrasound: Liver cancer screening, suspected cancer • Contrast-enhanced CT image 1: Liver cancer screening, portal venous phase, no cancerous findings. • Contrast-enhanced CT image 2: Liver cancer screening, arterial phase, suspected cancer • Contrast-enhanced CT image 3: Liver cancer screening, delayed phase, suspected cancer • Pathology examination: Liver cancer confirmed. 7.2. Here, the judgment function 12 determines from the clinical standard flow information D1 of the relevant medical facility that pathology image data and ultrasound image data will not be viewed after the treatment phase, and therefore assigns a low necessity level N. For example, the clinical standard flow information D1 of the relevant medical facility specifies that contrast-enhanced CT images should be used for treatment confirmation and post-discharge follow-up. 7.3. Judgment function 12 determines from the clinical metadata that contrast-enhanced CT image 1 does not show any signs of liver cancer, and therefore will not be viewed during the treatment phase, and assigns a low necessity rating N. 7.4. Based on the judgment results in "7.2" and "7.3" above, the decision function 13 determines that the storage location for the pathology image data, ultrasound image data, and contrast-enhanced CT image 1 is the low-speed storage LS1. The display control function 15 controls the display 40 to display a screen proposing the move to the determined storage location. If the user who has viewed this screen accepts the move to the determined storage location (by entering an acceptance instruction on the screen), the data management function 14 moves the clinical data to the determined storage location. 8. Subsequently, cancer treatment is administered. 9. Initially, follow-up was planned at the treatment facility, but at the patient's request, a transfer to another medical facility that is more convenient for them to visit is planned. 10. The physician or other medical professional will record the transfer plan in the electronic medical record. Based on the entry in the electronic medical record, the medical support system WN will change the clinical phase from "treatment phase" to "follow-up phase (other medical facility)".

[0040] <Follow-up Phase> 11. The judgment function 12 inputs the clinical phase information ("Follow-up phase (other medical facilities)") from "10." above, metadata of previous test results (diagnostic images), and clinical standard flow information D1 into the judgment model M, and determines the degree of necessity N for each clinical data. 11.1. The judgment function 12 reads from the clinical phase information PI ("Follow-up phase (other medical facilities)") above in "10." that a transfer to another medical facility will occur. If the judgment function 12 determines that there is no information yet on the medical facility to which the patient will be transferred, it searches for and retrieves that data. For example, the judgment function 12 searches the data on the medical facility information server (not shown) where medical facility information is stored and retrieves the information on the medical facility to which the patient will be transferred. 11.2. The judgment function 12 inputs medical facility information, including information such as whether the receiving hospital does not have a CT scanner but does have an ultrasound scanner, into the judgment model M. 11.3. The judgment function 12 determines, based on clinical phase information and information on the medical facility to which the patient is being transferred, that the ultrasound image data described in "1." above will be viewed as a comparison target at the medical facility to which the patient is being transferred, and determines that the necessity level N of the ultrasound image data described in "1." above is high. The decision function 13 decides to move the ultrasound image data to the medical facility to which the patient is being transferred based on this necessity level N. The display control function 15 controls the display 40 to display a screen that proposes the move of the ultrasound image data to the medical facility to which the patient has been decided. 12. If the user who has viewed this screen accepts the transfer of ultrasound image data to the designated medical facility (by entering a consent instruction on the screen), the data management function 14 will transfer the ultrasound image data to the medical facility. 13. Subsequently, the patient is transferred to another hospital.

[0041] [Processing flow] (New data storage process) Next, an example of the processing flow of the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of data storage processing by the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0042] First, the acquisition function 11 acquires the clinical data and clinical metadata to be stored from the diagnostic device DA via the communication interface 20 (step S101). The acquisition function 11 also acquires the patient's clinical phase information associated with the clinical data to be stored from the medical support device WN via the communication interface 20 (step S103).

[0043] Next, the judgment function 12 inputs the acquired clinical metadata, clinical phase information, and clinical flow information D1 into the judgment model M to determine the necessity level N of the clinical data (step S105).

[0044] Next, the decision function 13 determines the storage location for the clinical data based on the determined necessity level N (step S107). Then, the data management function 14 stores the clinical data in the determined storage location (step S109). Alternatively, the display control function 15 controls the display 40 to display a screen suggesting the storage of the clinical data in the determined storage location. If the user who has seen this screen accepts storage in the determined storage location (by entering an acceptance instruction on the screen), the data management function 14 stores the clinical data in the determined storage location. This completes the processing of this flowchart. Note that instead of the data management function 14 storing the data, the user of the medical information management device 1 (for example, a data administrator) may manually store the data.

[0045] (Moving or deleting stored data) Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of data movement or deletion processing by the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0046] First, the acquisition function 11 acquires clinical metadata of stored clinical data from the high-speed storage HS1 and the low-speed storage LS1 via the communication interface 20 (step S201). The acquisition function 11 also acquires patient clinical phase information associated with the stored clinical data from the medical support device WN via the communication interface 20 (step S203).

[0047] Next, the judgment function 12 inputs the acquired clinical metadata, clinical phase information, and clinical standard flow information D1 into the judgment model M to determine the necessity level N of the clinical data (step S205).

[0048] Next, the decision function 13 determines the storage location for the clinical data based on the determined necessity level N (step S207). Next, the data management function 14 determines whether or not each clinical data needs to be moved or deleted (step S209). For clinical data that the data management function 14 determines needs to be moved or deleted, it moves or deletes the data (step S211). Alternatively, the display control function 15 controls the display 40 to display a screen proposing the movement of the clinical data to the determined storage location. If the user who has seen this screen accepts the movement to the determined storage location (by entering an acceptance instruction on the screen), the data management function 14 moves the clinical data to the determined storage location. On the other hand, the data management function 14 does not move or delete clinical data that it determines does not need to be moved or deleted. This completes the processing of this flowchart. Note that instead of the data management function 14 moving or deleting the data, the user of the medical information management device 1 (e.g., a data administrator) may manually move or delete the data.

[0049] In other words, the judgment function 12 determines the degree of necessity of the clinical data stored in the slow storage LS1 (first storage) and the high-speed storage HS1 (second storage). The decision function 13 changes the storage location of the clinical data from the first storage to the second storage if the degree of necessity of the clinical data stored in the first storage is above the threshold, and does not change the storage location of the clinical data if the degree of necessity of the clinical data stored in the first storage is below the threshold. Furthermore, the decision function 13 changes the storage location of the clinical data from the second storage to the first storage if the degree of necessity of the clinical data stored in the second storage is below the threshold, and does not change the storage location of the clinical data if the degree of necessity of the clinical data stored in the second storage is above the threshold.

[0050] In other words, the acquisition function 11 acquires standard clinical flow information at the medical facility where the subject receives clinical treatment. The determination function 12 determines the degree of necessity based on the clinical phase information, metadata, and clinical flow information.

[0051] (Transfer or delete of stored data) Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of data transfer or deletion processing by the medical information management device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0052] First, the acquisition function 11 acquires clinical metadata of stored clinical data from the high-speed storage HS1 and low-speed storage LS1 via the communication interface 20 (step S301). The acquisition function 11 also acquires clinical phase information associated with the stored clinical data from the medical support device WN via the communication interface 20 (step S303).

[0053] Next, the judgment function 12 inputs the acquired clinical metadata, clinical phase information, clinical standard flow information D1, and information on the medical facility to which the patient is being transferred into the judgment model M, and determines the degree of necessity N for clinical data in the medical facility to which the patient is being transferred (step S305).

[0054] Next, the decision function 13 determines the storage location for the clinical data based on the determined necessity level N (step S307). Next, the data management function 14 determines whether data transfer or deletion is necessary for each piece of clinical data (step S309). For clinical data that the data management function 14 determines requires data transfer or deletion, it transfers or deletes the data (step S311). Alternatively, the display control function 15 controls the display 40 to display a screen proposing the transfer of clinical data to the determined storage location. If the user who has viewed this screen accepts the transfer to the determined storage location (by entering an acceptance instruction on the screen), the data management function 14 transfers the clinical data to the determined storage location (another medical facility) via the communication network NW. On the other hand, the data management function 14 does not transfer or delete clinical data that it determines does not require data transfer or deletion. This completes the processing of this flowchart. Alternatively, instead of the data management function 14 performing the data transfer or deletion, the user of the medical information management device 1 (for example, a data administrator) may manually transfer or delete the data.

[0055] In other words, the acquisition function 11 acquires facility information of a medical facility other than the medical facility where the subject receives clinical treatment. The determination function 12 determines the degree of need at the other medical facility based on clinical phase information, metadata, and facility information. The decision function 13 determines which clinical data to transfer to the other medical facility based on the determined degree of need.

[0056] Situations in which clinical data transfer to other medical facilities occurs, as described above, include the following. For example, consider a patient who primarily receives regular checkups at a local hospital through outpatient and inpatient visits, and occasionally (e.g., once a month) also sees a specialist in an urban area. In such a patient, the need for the test data (clinical data) generated at the local hospital is high immediately after the test, but lower at the urban hospital. Furthermore, due to the management policies of the hospitals, the need for clinical data at the local hospital decreases over time because there are no research-like activities, but it is predicted that the need remains unchanged at the urban hospital due to research-like activities. In this case, the medical information management device 1 moves the data from the local hospital to the urban hospital. That is, instead of moving the data to low-speed storage within the local hospital, the data is moved to the urban hospital, which continues to need the data.

[0057] Other situations in which clinical data may be moved or transferred before or after a transition in clinical phase include the following. For example, consider a patient who came to the hospital with a stroke, completed brain treatment, and had a good postoperative course regarding the brain, but continues to visit the hospital due to residual disability in the limbs. In such a patient, once postoperative follow-up for the brain region is completed, medical information management device 1 archives the complete set of brain images. If images of the limbs were taken before postoperative follow-up, they will not be archived. If a patient is transferred from an acute care hospital to a rehabilitation hospital for rehabilitation after stroke treatment, medical information management device 1 moves images of the rehabilitation area taken at the acute care hospital, as well as rehabilitation-related information, to the receiving medical facility.

[0058] Furthermore, we consider patients whose postoperative follow-up for cancer has shifted from focusing on the primary site to the site of metastasis. In such patients, once it is determined that follow-up at the primary site is no longer necessary, the medical information management device 1 archives those images. The use of genetic information and other data may also be considered in making this determination. Whether or not follow-up is unnecessary is determined based on the electronic medical record entries or by logic such as a prolonged period without cancer detection at the primary site.

[0059] Furthermore, we consider a patient who has been undergoing health checkups for several decades and has accumulated data from wearable sensors. In such a patient, unless a disease is found, the medical information management device 1 moves the clinical data to low-speed storage. If a disease is found, the medical information management device 1 moves only the data relevant to that disease to high-speed storage.

[0060] According to the embodiments described above, it is possible to enable optimal management of medical information in response to changes in the clinical phase. Specifically, it is possible to timely determine changes in the importance and necessity of clinical data due to changes in the clinical phase, and to efficiently store the data in the most suitable storage. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent clinical data whose importance and necessity have decreased due to changes in the clinical phase from remaining stored in high-speed storage or storage with high storage or communication costs. Conversely, it is possible to prevent clinical data whose importance and necessity have increased due to changes in the clinical phase from remaining stored in slow storage. As a result, storage resources can be used effectively, and it is possible to achieve both a reduction in storage costs and the assurance of user operability.

[0061] The embodiments described above can be expressed as follows. Equipped with processing circuitry, The aforementioned processing circuit is We obtain the clinical phase information of the subjects and metadata of the clinical data of the said subjects. Based on the acquired clinical phase information and metadata, the necessity of the clinical data is determined. Based on the determined degree of necessity, the storage location for the clinical data is determined. Medical information management device.

[0062] While several embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1…Medical information management device, 10…Processing circuit, 11…Acquisition function, 12…Judgment function, 13…Decision function, 14…Data management function, 15…Display control function, 20…Communication interface, 30…Input interface, 40…Display, 50…Memory, DA…Diagnostic device, EM…Electronic medical record system, F1…First medical facility, F2…Second medical facility, F3…Third medical facility, HS1, HS2, HS3…High-speed storage, LS1, LS2, LS3…Low-speed storage, S1…Medical information management system, WN…Medical support device

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires the clinical phase information of the subject and metadata of the clinical data of the subject, A determination unit that determines the necessity of the clinical data based on the acquired clinical phase information and metadata, A determination unit that determines the storage location of the clinical data based on the determined necessity level, Equipped with, The determination unit determines the degree of necessity using a determination model that has been trained to output the degree of necessity when the clinical phase information and the metadata are input. The determination unit determines the first storage as the storage location for clinical data whose necessity level is below the threshold, and determines the second storage, which can be accessed faster than the first storage, as the storage location for clinical data whose necessity level is equal to or greater than the threshold. Medical information management device.

2. The acquisition unit acquires facility information of a facility that is a candidate location for storing the clinical data, The determination unit determines the degree of necessity for each facility based on the clinical phase information, the metadata, and the facility information. A medical information management device according to claim 1.

3. If there is a deficiency in the facility information, the determination unit searches for and obtains the necessary facility information via the network. The medical information management device according to claim 2.

4. The determination unit determines the degree of necessity of the clinical data stored in the first storage and the second storage, The aforementioned determination unit, If the necessity of the clinical data stored in the first storage is equal to or greater than the threshold, the storage location of the clinical data is changed from the first storage to the second storage; if the necessity of the clinical data stored in the first storage is less than the threshold, the storage location of the clinical data is not changed. If the necessity of the clinical data stored in the second storage is less than the threshold, the storage location of the clinical data is changed from the second storage to the first storage; if the necessity of the clinical data stored in the second storage is equal to or greater than the threshold, the storage location of the clinical data is not changed. A medical information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The acquisition unit acquires facility information of a medical facility other than the medical facility where the subject receives clinical treatment. The determination unit determines the degree of necessity at the other medical facility based on the clinical phase information, the metadata, and the facility information. The determination unit determines the clinical data to be transferred to the other medical facility based on the determined degree of necessity. A medical information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The acquisition unit acquires standard clinical flow information at the medical facility where the subject receives clinical treatment. The determination unit determines the degree of necessity based on the clinical phase information, the metadata, and the clinical flow information. A medical information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. Computers We obtain the clinical phase information of the subjects and metadata of the clinical data of the said subjects. Based on the acquired clinical phase information and metadata, the necessity of the clinical data is determined. Based on the determined degree of necessity, the storage location for the clinical data is determined. A method for managing medical information, The necessity level is determined using a determination model that has been trained to output the necessity level when the clinical phase information and metadata are input. For clinical data whose necessity level is below the threshold, the first storage is determined as the storage location, and for clinical data whose necessity level is equal to or greater than the threshold, the second storage, which allows for faster access than the first storage, is determined as the storage location. Medical information management methods.

8. On the computer, The clinical phase information of the subject and metadata of the subject's clinical data are obtained. Based on the acquired clinical phase information and metadata, the necessity of the clinical data is determined. Based on the determined degree of necessity, the storage location for the clinical data is determined. It is a program, The determination of the necessity is made using a determination model that has been trained to output the necessity level when the clinical phase information and metadata are input. For clinical data whose necessity level is below a threshold, the first storage is designated as the storage location, and for clinical data whose necessity level is equal to or greater than the threshold, the second storage, which allows for faster access than the first storage, is designated as the storage location. program.

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