Self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare

Abstract

This system provides a self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare, enabling patients to safely and accurately perform self-rehabilitation while reducing psychological burden and allowing them to continue rehabilitation. [Solution] The self-rehabilitation support system 10 for home healthcare includes a patient terminal 7, a medical professional terminal, and a server 2. Based on a self-rehabilitation menu set by the medical professional, it acquires movement information when the patient performs self-rehabilitation at home, and provides a combination of form evaluation by the medical professional and interactive real-time guidance by AI. This supports self-rehabilitation in the home environment while ensuring safety and continuity.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of home healthcare, and particularly relates to a self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare for supporting self-rehabilitation performed by patients themselves in a home environment. [Background Art]

[0002] In recent years, from the perspectives of the progress of aging and the control of medical expenses, the transition from hospital-centered medical care to home healthcare has been promoted. In home healthcare, rehabilitation provided by medical workers such as physical therapists and occupational therapists plays an important role for the purpose of maintaining or recovering the patient's physical functions.

[0003] However, rehabilitation in home healthcare has the problem that since the number of visits and the length of stay of medical workers are limited, it is difficult for patients to continue appropriate rehabilitation during the time between visits. In addition, when a patient performs rehabilitation in an unguided manner, exercise with incorrect form may fail to provide sufficient effects or cause injury to the patient's body. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-35651 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] To address such problems, techniques for evaluating rehabilitation motions using posture estimation and image analysis technologies, and techniques for remotely supporting rehabilitation by medical workers have been proposed. In addition, techniques incorporating game elements and interactions to encourage the continuation of exercise are also known.

[0006] However, many of these technologies require specialized equipment or are based on rehabilitation led by medical professionals, and do not adequately support self-rehabilitation that patients can easily continue on their own in a home environment. Furthermore, there are not enough technological means to balance safety and continuity while taking into account the psychological aspects such as feelings of loneliness and anxiety experienced by patients.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a self-rehabilitation support technology for home healthcare that enables patients to safely and accurately perform self-rehabilitation in home healthcare settings, and to allow them to continue rehabilitation while reducing psychological burden. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention is a system that supports self-rehabilitation of a patient in home medical care, comprising: a patient terminal used by the patient; a medical professional terminal used by a medical professional; and a server that is communicatively connected to the patient terminal and the medical professional terminal, wherein the server comprises: a menu management unit that sets a self-rehabilitation menu according to the patient's condition or recovery status based on input from the medical professional terminal and provides it to the patient terminal; a form evaluation unit that generates information for the medical professional to evaluate the form of the patient's rehabilitation movements based on information about the patient's movements acquired by the patient terminal and records the evaluation results; a real-time guidance unit that provides real-time guidance, encouragement, or movement suggestions to the patient through AI-based interactive communication based on the form evaluation results from the form evaluation unit and the self-rehabilitation menu; and a data linkage unit that stores the implementation status of the self-rehabilitation menu, the form evaluation results, and the content of the interactive communication as data and provides it to the medical professional terminal.

[0009] Furthermore, in the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention, it is preferable that the form evaluation unit presents the medical professional with analysis results regarding the patient's skeleton, posture, or joint angles based on image data acquired by the patient terminal, and that the medical professional evaluates the form based on the analysis results.

[0010] Furthermore, in the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention, it is preferable that the real-time guidance unit uses AI to predict the patient's condition based on the self-rehabilitation menu set by the medical professional, and generates suggestions for the next rehabilitation content, verbal cues, or actions to be performed.

[0011] Furthermore, in the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention, it is preferable that the interactive communication includes dialogue that accepts the patient's complaints, requests for attention, or anxieties, depending on the patient's emotional state, fatigue level, or the content of their speech, thereby providing psychological support for the continuation of self-rehabilitation.

[0012] Furthermore, in the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention, it is preferable that the self-rehabilitation menu includes sports, musical performance, travel experiences, cycling, mountain climbing, or similar experiential content, and that it is combined with the interactive communication to create opportunities for the patient to move their body unintentionally as part of the treatment.

[0013] Furthermore, in the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention, it is preferable that the patient terminal is a general-purpose information terminal including a smartphone or tablet, and that the self-rehabilitation can be performed without using dedicated medical equipment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, in a home environment, patients can perform self-rehabilitation using a general-purpose information terminal without using specialized medical equipment, thereby improving ease of introduction and continued use.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by combining form evaluation by medical professionals with interactive real-time guidance by AI, it is possible to ensure the safety and effectiveness of rehabilitation while reducing the psychological burden on patients and promoting the continuation of self-rehabilitation. This contributes to maintaining or restoring patients' physical function and realizing dignified independence in home healthcare. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart showing an example of the self-rehabilitation support process in a self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the concept of self-rehabilitation support through interactive communication in a self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements in all drawings, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In addition, in the descriptions within the text, reference numerals previously mentioned will be used as necessary.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare according to the present invention. A self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare 10 comprises a patient terminal 7 used by a patient 6 in a home environment, a medical worker terminal 9 used by a medical worker 8 such as a physician, physical therapist, or occupational therapist, and a server 2 communicably connected to these terminals via a network.

[0019] Note that the embodiment described below exemplifies processing implemented based on the configuration of the self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare according to the present invention, but the present invention can also be understood as a self-rehabilitation support method for home healthcare that executes said processing.

[0020] In the self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare 10, a medical worker 8 grasps the physical condition and recovery status of the patient 6 to set a self-rehabilitation menu, the patient 6 performs self-rehabilitation at home based on the menu, and the implementation status and evaluation results are managed and shared via the server 2.

[0021] The patient terminal 7 is a general-purpose information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, and is used by the patient 6 to perform self-rehabilitation in a home environment. The patient terminal 7 includes a display unit, an input unit, a communication unit, an imaging unit, and the like, and has functions of displaying a self-rehabilitation menu, displaying interactive communication and outputting audio, and imaging the rehabilitation motion of the patient 6 to acquire motion information.

[0022] Via the patient terminal 7, the patient 6 can move their body within a reasonable range as an extension of daily life in accordance with the self-rehabilitation menu set by the medical worker 8.

[0023] The medical worker terminal 9 is an information terminal used by the medical worker 8, and is configured of a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or the like. The medical worker terminal 9 can refer to the physical condition, recovery status, past rehabilitation implementation history, and the like of the patient 6, and has a function of setting a self-rehabilitation menu suitable for the patient 6 based on these pieces of information.

[0024] Furthermore, the medical worker terminal 9 displays an analysis result generated based on motion information acquired by the patient terminal 7, and is used for the medical worker 8 to evaluate the form of a rehabilitation motion. This allows the medical worker 8 to remotely grasp the content of self-rehabilitation performed by the patient 6 at home, and reflect the grasped content in the setting of a self-rehabilitation menu and guidance content for subsequent sessions.

[0025] The server 2 is an information processing device that is communicably connected to the patient terminal 7 and the medical worker terminal 9 via a network, and serves as the core of a self-rehabilitation support system 10 for home medical care. The server 2 includes a menu management unit 12, a form evaluation unit 14, a real-time guidance unit 16, and a data cooperation unit 18, and realizes self-rehabilitation support in a home environment through cooperative operation of these respective functional units.

[0026] Furthermore, the server 2 is connected to a database 4, and records and manages various types of data such as the self-rehabilitation menu, the rehabilitation implementation status of the patient 6, form evaluation results, and the content of interactive communication.

[0027] The menu management unit 12 has a function of setting a self-rehabilitation menu in consideration of the physical condition, recovery status, past rehabilitation history, and the like of the patient 6 based on information input from the medical worker terminal 9.

[0028] The self-rehabilitation menu set by the menu management unit 12 includes exercise content, implementation time, number of repetitions, difficulty level, and the like, and is configured to be content that the patient 6 can continue without difficulty in a home environment. The set self-rehabilitation menu is transmitted to the patient terminal 7 and presented to the patient 6.

[0029] The form evaluation unit 14 has the function of generating information for healthcare professionals 8 to evaluate the form of rehabilitation movements based on information about the patient's movements acquired by the patient terminal 7.

[0030] Specifically, image data showing the patient's movements, acquired by the imaging unit of the patient terminal 7, is transmitted to the server 2. Based on this image data, analysis results regarding the skeleton, posture, or joint angles are generated. The generated analysis results are presented to the medical professional terminal 9, and the medical professional 8 evaluates the appropriateness of the rehabilitation movement form while referring to these analysis results.

[0031] The form evaluation unit 14 records the evaluation results from the medical professionals 8 and provides these evaluation results to the real-time guidance unit 16 and the data linkage unit 18.

[0032] The real-time instruction unit 16 has the function of providing real-time instruction, encouragement, or movement suggestions to the patient 6 through AI-driven interactive communication, based on the form evaluation results from the form evaluation unit 14 and the self-rehabilitation menu set by the menu management unit 12.

[0033] The real-time guidance unit 16 generates voice or display messages to encourage the patient to continue the movement, suggestions for the next movement to be performed, or warnings, depending on the patient's condition and progress, while the patient 6 is performing self-rehabilitation, and provides these to the patient 6 via the patient terminal 7.

[0034] This allows patient 6 to safely perform self-rehabilitation in their home environment, even during times when healthcare professional 8 is not visiting, while receiving appropriate guidance tailored to their self-rehabilitation progress.

[0035] The data linkage unit 18 has the function of storing data in the database 4, including the implementation status of the self-rehabilitation menu, the form evaluation results from the form evaluation unit 14, and the content of the interactive communication from the real-time instruction unit 16.

[0036] The data stored in database 4 is provided to the healthcare professional terminal 9 and used by healthcare professionals 8 to understand the status and trends of patient 6's self-rehabilitation at home. This data is also used to set up future self-rehabilitation menus and adjust real-time guidance content.

[0037] In this way, the data linkage unit 18 forms a feedback structure that reflects the results of self-rehabilitation in the subsequent support.

[0038] Next, an example of the self-rehabilitation support process performed in the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 2.

[0039] The self-rehabilitation support process described below is an example of a self-rehabilitation support method for home healthcare that is executed by computer. This process is performed collaboratively by the patient terminal 7, the healthcare worker terminal 9, and the server 2.

[0040] First, in step S1, the healthcare professional 8 uses the healthcare professional terminal 9 to set a self-rehabilitation menu suitable for patient 6, while referring to patient 6's physical condition, recovery status, past rehabilitation history, etc.

[0041] The self-rehabilitation menu set here includes the content of the exercises, the duration, the number of repetitions, the difficulty level, etc., and is structured so that patient 6 can continue it without difficulty in their home environment. The self-rehabilitation menu may also include the timing of verbal encouragement and suggestions through interactive communication.

[0042] Next, in step S2, patient 6 uses patient terminal 7 to perform self-rehabilitation according to the self-rehabilitation menu set in step S1.

[0043] Patient 6 moves their body as an extension of their daily life in their home environment, referring to the self-rehabilitation menu displayed on the patient terminal 7 and the interactive communication provided by the real-time guidance unit 16. This allows Patient 6 to perform self-rehabilitation in a comfortable manner, rather than as conscious training.

[0044] Next, in step S3, information regarding the patient's movements is acquired by the patient terminal 7. Specifically, the imaging unit of the patient terminal 7 is used to capture images of the patient's movements while performing self-rehabilitation, and image data representing those movements is generated.

[0045] The generated image data is transmitted to server 2 via the communication unit and used for analysis by the form evaluation unit 14. This allows healthcare professionals 8 to remotely understand the details of the self-rehabilitation movements performed by patient 6 in their home environment.

[0046] Next, in step S4, the form evaluation unit 14 presents the analysis results generated based on the information about patient 6's movements acquired in step S3 to the healthcare professional terminal 9. The healthcare professional 8, referring to the analysis results displayed on the healthcare professional terminal 9, evaluates the appropriateness, areas for improvement, points to note, etc., of the form of the movements performed by patient 6 during self-rehabilitation.

[0047] The form evaluation unit 14 records the evaluation results from the healthcare professional 8 and provides these evaluation results to the real-time guidance unit 16 and the data linkage unit 18. This ensures that the form evaluation based on the healthcare professional 8's professional judgment is reflected in subsequent real-time guidance and data management.

[0048] Subsequently, in step S5, the data linkage unit 18 stores the implementation status of the self-rehabilitation menu, the form evaluation results from the form evaluation unit 14, and the content of the interactive communication from the real-time guidance unit 16 as data in the database 4.

[0049] The data stored in database 4 is provided to the healthcare professional terminal 9 and used by healthcare professionals 8 to understand the trends and changes over time in patient 6's self-rehabilitation activities at home.

[0050] Furthermore, the accumulated data is used to set up self-rehabilitation menus for subsequent sessions and to adjust the content of instruction provided by the real-time instruction unit 16. This creates a feedback loop in the home healthcare self-rehabilitation support system 10 that reflects the results of self-rehabilitation in subsequent support.

[0051] Figure 3 shows the concept of self-rehabilitation support through interactive communication. The interactive communication by the real-time guidance unit 16 is based on the patient's movement status, fatigue level, or spoken content obtained via the patient terminal 7 during self-rehabilitation.

[0052] Based on this information, the real-time guidance unit 16 generates guidance, verbal encouragement, or action suggestions tailored to the patient's condition and provides them to the patient via the patient terminal 7. This interactive communication includes content that acknowledges the patient's complaints, requests for attention, or anxieties, and is designed to allow the patient to continue self-rehabilitation without interruption.

[0053] Through this type of interactive communication, patient 6 can continue self-rehabilitation in their home environment while gaining a sense of psychological security, thereby reducing resistance and burden towards rehabilitation.

[0054] Furthermore, the dialogue provided by the real-time guidance unit 16 is not merely an emotional response, but is generated based on the status of self-rehabilitation and the results of form evaluation, thus providing technically appropriate support tailored to the patient's condition 6.

[0055] Furthermore, the self-rehabilitation menu can include experiential content such as sports, playing music, travel experiences, cycling, and hiking. When combined with interactive communication, these experiential contents provide patients with opportunities to move their bodies as part of their daily experiences without consciously engaging in training.

[0056] This allows patient 6 to have the opportunity for therapeutic movement that occurs unintentionally, improving the continuity and effectiveness of self-rehabilitation.

[0057] The self-rehabilitation support processing for home healthcare according to the present invention can be provided as a program to be executed by a computer. This program is stored in a patient terminal 7, a medical professional terminal 9, or a server 2, and is executed by these computers to realize the self-rehabilitation support method for home healthcare according to the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 2 Servers, 4 Databases, 6 Patients, 7 Patient Terminals, 8 Healthcare Professionals, 9 Healthcare Professional Terminals, 10 Self-Rehabilitation Support System for Home Healthcare, 12 Menu Management Department, 14 Form Evaluation Department, 16 Real-Time Guidance Department, 18 Data Integration Department.

Claims

1. A system that supports patients' self-rehabilitation in home healthcare, The patient terminal used by the aforementioned patient, Medical professional terminals used by medical professionals, A server connected to the patient terminal and the medical professional terminal in a manner that enables communication between them, Equipped with, The aforementioned server is A menu management unit sets a self-rehabilitation menu according to the patient's condition or recovery status based on input from the medical professional's terminal and provides it to the patient's terminal. A form evaluation unit generates information for the medical professional to evaluate the form of the patient's rehabilitation movements based on information about the patient's movements acquired by the patient terminal, and records the form evaluation result, which is the evaluation result based on said information. Based on the form evaluation results and the self-rehabilitation menu, a real-time guidance unit provides real-time guidance, encouragement, or movement suggestions to the patient through AI-driven interactive communication. A data linkage unit that stores the implementation status of the self-rehabilitation menu, the results of the form evaluation, and the content of the interactive communication as data and provides it to the medical professional's terminal, A self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare, characterized by having [a specific feature / feature].

2. In the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care described in claim 1, The form evaluation unit described above is: A self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare, characterized in that it presents the results of an analysis of the patient's skeleton, posture, or joint angles to the healthcare professional based on image data acquired by the patient terminal, and the healthcare professional evaluates the form based on the analysis results.

3. In the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care described in claim 1, The aforementioned real-time guidance unit, A self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare, characterized in that, based on the self-rehabilitation menu set by the medical professional, the AI ​​predicts the patient's condition and generates suggestions for the next rehabilitation actions to be performed, verbal cues, or movements.

4. In the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care described in claim 1, The aforementioned interactive communication is, A self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare, characterized by including dialogue that accepts the patient's complaints, requests for attention, or anxieties in accordance with the patient's emotional state, fatigue level, or the content of their speech, thereby providing psychological support for the continuation of self-rehabilitation.

5. In the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care described in claim 1, The aforementioned self-rehabilitation menu is: Includes physical movement guidance content to enable patients to perform actions corresponding to sports, musical performance, travel experiences, cycling, or hiking. A self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare, characterized in that the aforementioned body movement guidance content is combined with the aforementioned interactive communication to create opportunities for treatment in which the patient unintentionally moves their body.

6. In the self-rehabilitation support system for home medical care described in claim 1, The patient terminal is a general-purpose information terminal including a smartphone or tablet, and the self-rehabilitation support system for home healthcare is characterized in that it enables the self-rehabilitation to be performed without the use of dedicated medical equipment.

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