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

Abstract

To provide a medical information processing apparatus, a medical information processing method, and a medical information processing program that can conduct an on-line medical examination at any timing and at any place.SOLUTION: A medical information processing system 100 can conduct an on-line medical examination at any timing and at any place, and includes a medical information processing apparatus 1, a patient terminal 21, a doctor terminal 22, a nurse terminal 23, a hospital information system 3, and a network 4. The medical information processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that processes information on medical treatment, and is communicably interconnected with the patient terminal 21, doctor terminal 22, nurse terminal 23, and hospital information system 3 via the network 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in the present specification and drawings relate to a medical information processing apparatus, a medical information processing method, and a medical information processing program. [Background Art]

[0002] In recent years, various restrictions on remote medical treatment between doctors and patients via information communication equipment (hereinafter also referred to as "online medical treatment") have been gradually removed. For example, the revision of the medical law is considering enabling online medical treatment even when doctors and patients are located at places other than medical institutions. Moreover, not only general doctor-to-patient online medical treatment (D to P), but also online medical treatment including nurses and other personnel who assist the patient with the medical assistance acts instructed by a doctor (hereinafter also referred to as "medical assistants") (D to P with N) is also being considered. The diversification of embodiments of online medical treatment in this way is expected to change the practicable content of medical treatment for each embodiment. Therefore, an online medical treatment system capable of accommodating the diversification of locations, parties, and other factors in online medical treatment is desired.

[0003] Some conventional online medical treatment systems allow a patient to designate and book a time and a doctor in advance, and conduct online medical treatment between a doctor located at a medical institution and a patient located at home or the like. However, in this system, while the patient is required to make a reservation in advance, the doctor can only conduct online medical treatment at a well-equipped medical institution. Accordingly, a system that enables patients and doctors to conduct online medical treatment at any timing and any location is particularly desired. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-215769 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] One of the problems that the embodiments disclosed herein and in the drawings aim to solve is the provision of online medical consultations at any time and place. 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]

[0006] The medical information processing device according to the embodiment comprises an acquisition unit and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires medical content information relating to the medical treatment that the patient is scheduled to receive, patient environment information relating to the environment of the location where the patient is located, and medical professional environment information relating to the environment of the location where the medical professional responsible for the medical treatment is located. The determination unit determines, based on the medical content information, the patient environment information, and the medical professional environment information, whether or not the patient is able to receive the medical treatment from the medical professional. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example configuration of a medical information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of a medical information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of a patient terminal, a physician terminal, and a nurse terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the operation of the medical information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a table of criteria for determining eligibility for medical treatment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a second example of the criteria table for determining eligibility for medical treatment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the first example of a screen displaying the results of the medical treatment assessment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a second example of a screen displaying the results of the medical treatment assessment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows a third example of a screen displaying the results of the medical treatment assessment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of a medical information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of the operation of the medical information processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of a medical treatment content determination criteria table. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, a medical information processing device, a medical information processing method, and a medical information processing program according to the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts with the same reference numerals perform similar operations, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0009] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows an example configuration of a medical information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment. The medical information processing system 100 is a system that processes medical information and is an example of an online medical consultation system. The medical information processing system 100 according to this embodiment is a client-server system. The medical information processing system 100 includes a medical information processing device 1, a patient terminal 21, a doctor terminal 22, a nurse terminal 23, a hospital information system 3, and a network 4 as its components.

[0010] The medical information processing device 1 is a device that processes medical information. The medical information processing device 1 is connected to patient terminals 21, physician terminals 22, nurse terminals 23, and hospital information system 3 via a network 4, enabling communication between them. The medical information processing device 1 can function as a server. The medical information processing device 1 may also be a workstation capable of high-speed information processing.

[0011] The patient terminal 21 is a terminal owned and operated by the patient. The physician terminal 22 is a terminal owned and operated by the physician. The nurse terminal 23 is a terminal owned and operated by the nurse. Each terminal can function as a client. Each terminal may be a personal desktop PC, laptop PC, smartphone, tablet, or wearable device. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the terms "patient," "physician," and "nurse" refer to the patient who owns the patient terminal 21, the physician who owns the physician terminal 22, and the nurse who owns the nurse terminal 23, respectively.

[0012] Hospital Information System 3 is a system that connects various departments within a hospital and supports hospital operations. Hospital Information System 3 includes an electronic medical record system, an order entry system, a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a medical accounting system, and a pathology department system. Hospital Information System 3 is also called HIS (Hospital Information System). Hereafter, it is assumed that Hospital Information System 3 stores various types of information related to patients, doctors, and nurses.

[0013] Figure 2 shows an example configuration of the medical information processing device 1 according to the first embodiment. The medical information processing device 1 includes a processing circuit 11, a memory 12, and a communication IF 13 as its components. Each component is connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via a bus (BUS), which is a common signal transmission path. Each component does not have to be implemented by individual hardware. For example, at least two of each component may be implemented by a single piece of hardware.

[0014] The processing circuit 11 controls the overall operation of the medical information processing apparatus 1. The processing circuit 11 includes at least one processor. The term "processor" refers to circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and programmable logic devices (e.g., Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD), Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). When the processor is a CPU, the processor implements each function by reading and executing a program stored in the memory 12. On the other hand, when the processor is an ASIC, instead of storing the program in the memory 12, each function is directly incorporated as a logic circuit in the circuit of the processor. The processor may be configured as a single circuit, or may be configured by combining a plurality of independent circuits. The processing circuit 11 is an example of a processing unit. In the present embodiment, the processing circuit 11 implements each function (e.g., an acquisition function 111, a determination function 112, an identification function 113, a transmission function 114).

[0015] The acquisition function 111 acquires medical content information related to the medical content that a patient is scheduled to receive, patient environment information related to the environment of the location where the patient is located, and medical staff environment information related to the environment of the location where the medical staff in charge of the medical content is located. The acquisition function 111 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0016] The determination function 112 determines whether the patient can receive the aforementioned medical content provided by the aforementioned medical worker based on the medical content information, patient environment information, and medical worker environment information. The determination function 112 outputs, as determination results, one of a first determination result indicating that the patient can receive the medical content, a second determination result indicating that it will take time before the patient can receive the medical content, and a third determination result indicating that the patient cannot receive the medical content. The determination function 112 is an example of a determination unit.

[0017] The identification function 113 identifies at least one of a cause for why the patient cannot receive the medical content and a countermeasure for eliminating the cause, when a determination result indicating that the patient cannot receive the medical content (the third determination result) is output. The identification function 113 is an example of an identification unit.

[0018] The transmission function 114 transmits at least one of the aforementioned determination result, the cause, and the countermeasure to the outside. The transmission function 114 is an example of a transmission unit.

[0019] The memory 12 stores information such as data and programs used by the processing circuit 11. As hardware, the memory 12 includes semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Note that the memory 12 may also be a drive device that reads and writes information from and to an external storage device such as a magnetic disk (Floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk), magneto-optical disk (MO), optical disk (CD, DVD, Blu-ray (registered trademark)), flash memory (USB flash memory, memory card, SSD), or magnetic tape. A storage area of the memory 12 may be located in an internal or external storage device of the medical information processing apparatus 1. The memory 12 is an example of a storage unit. In the present embodiment, the memory 12 stores a medical treatment availability determination condition table 200. The medical treatment availability determination condition table 200 stores medical content information related to the medical content that the patient is scheduled to receive.

[0020] Communication IF13 communicates various types of information between the medical information processing device 1 and the network 4. Any communication standard, whether wired or wireless, can be used for this communication. Communication IF13 is an example of a communication unit. Hereinafter, "IF" stands for Interface.

[0021] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of a patient terminal 21, a physician terminal 22, and a nurse terminal 23 according to the first embodiment. Each terminal has a similar configuration to the others, and each configuration performs similar functions among the terminals.

[0022] The patient terminal 21, physician terminal 22, and nurse terminal 23 each include, as their respective components, processing circuits 211, 221, 231, memory 212, 222, 232, displays 213, 223, 233, input IFs 214, 224, 234, and communication IFs 215, 225, 235.

[0023] Processing circuits 211, 221, and 231 control the overall operation of the patient terminal 21, the doctor terminal 22, and the nurse terminal 23. The hardware configuration of processing circuits 211, 221, and 231 is the same as the hardware configuration of processing circuit 11 in the medical information processing device 1. In this embodiment, processing circuits 211, 221, and 231 store various information transmitted from the medical information processing device 1 in the memories 212, 222, and 232, and also display this information on the displays 213, 223, and 233. Furthermore, processing circuits 211, 221, and 231 transmit operations and information from patients, doctors, or nurses input via input IFs 214, 224, and 234 to the medical information processing device 1. Processing circuits 211, 221, and 231 are an example of a processing unit.

[0024] Memory units 212, 222, and 232 store information such as data and programs used by processing circuits 211, 221, and 231. The hardware configuration of memory units 212, 222, and 232 is the same as the hardware configuration of memory unit 12 in the medical information processing device 1. Memory units 212, 222, and 232 are examples of storage units.

[0025] Displays 213, 223, and 233 display information such as data generated by processing circuits 211, 221, and 231, and data stored in memories 212, 222, and 232. Any display can be used as displays 213, 223, and 233, including cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma displays, and organic electro-luminescence (OELD) displays. In addition, displays 213, 223, and 233 may be any means of making information recognizable to the subject's vision, such as smart glasses, VR / AR goggles, or retinal scanning laser eyewear. In this embodiment, displays 213, 223, and 233 display various information transmitted from the medical information processing device 1. In other embodiments, the various information generated by the medical information processing device 1 may be displayed on a display provided by the medical information processing device 1. Displays 213, 223, and 233 are examples of display units.

[0026] Input IFs 214, 224, and 234 receive input from patients, doctors, or nurses, convert the received input into electrical signals, and output them to processing circuits 211, 221, and 231. Any operating component, including a mouse, keyboard, trackball, switch, button, joystick, touchpad, and touch panel display, can be used as input IFs 214, 224, and 234. Alternatively, input IFs 214, 224, and 234 may be external input devices separate from the patient terminal 21, doctor terminal 22, and nurse terminal 23, which receive input, convert the received input into electrical signals, and output them to processing circuits 211, 221, and 231. In another embodiment, input from patients, doctors, or nurses may be output to the processing circuit 11 of the medical information processing device 1 via the input IFs provided by the medical information processing device 1. Input IFs 214, 224, and 234 are examples of input units.

[0027] Communication IFs 215, 225, and 235 communicate various information between the patient terminal 21, physician terminal 22, nurse terminal 23, and network 4. Any communication standard, whether wired or wireless, can be used for this communication. Communication IFs 215, 225, and 235 are examples of communication units.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of the operation of the medical information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment. The series of steps (S101-S107) shown in this example of operation can be initiated when the medical information processing device 1 receives a request from the patient terminal 21.

[0029] In step S101, the medical information processing device 1 transmits candidate medical treatments using its transmission function 114. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 reads the medical treatment feasibility determination condition table 200 from the memory 12 and then transmits multiple medical treatments included in the medical treatment feasibility determination condition table 200 to the patient terminal 21.

[0030] In step S102, the patient terminal 21 displays a list of possible medical treatments. Specifically, the patient terminal 21 displays multiple medical treatment options transmitted from the medical information processing device 1 on the display 213. Subsequently, the patient, who is the owner of the patient terminal 21, selects at least one medical treatment option from the displayed options that they wish to receive using input IF 214.

[0031] In step S103, the patient terminal 21 selects a medical treatment. Specifically, the patient terminal 21 selects at least one medical treatment based on the patient's actions entered via input IF214. The selected medical treatment can be said to be the medical treatment the patient is scheduled to receive. The patient terminal 21 transmits the selection result, indicating the selected medical treatment, to the medical information processing device 1.

[0032] In step S104, the medical information processing device 1 acquires patient information and medical function information using its acquisition function 111. Specifically, based on the above selection result, the medical information processing device 1 identifies the conditions necessary to execute the medical treatment selected by the patient from the medical treatment feasibility determination condition table 200. Subsequently, the medical information processing device 1 acquires patient information and medical function information from the patient terminal 21, doctor terminal 22, nurse terminal 23, and hospital information system 3 as information necessary to determine the identified conditions.

[0033] "Patient information" refers to various types of information about a patient. This includes patient environment information, which concerns the environment of the patient's location; patient convenience information, which concerns whether the patient is able to respond to the patient's needs; and patient health information, which concerns the patient's health status.

[0034] Patient environment information includes information about the presence of medical assistants at the location where the patient is located. This information can also be described as information about the human environment in which the patient is placed. Specifically, this information may be the GPS (Global Positioning System) location information of the patient terminal 21 and the nurse terminal 23. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine whether or not medical assistants such as home helpers and nurses are located near the patient based on this location information. Incidentally, if medical assistants are located near the patient, the doctor can instruct the medical assistants to perform the necessary procedures on the patient for diagnosis, thus making it easier for the doctor to conduct online diagnoses. The above information may also include information about the names, number, or occupations of the medical assistants, and information about the distance between the patient and the medical assistants (e.g., within a radius of 10m). In this case, the medical information processing device 1 may determine that medical assistants are located near the patient if the distance is below a threshold.

[0035] Furthermore, patient environment information includes information about at least one of the following: noise level, communication environment, and presence of medical equipment at the location where the patient is located. This information can also be described as information about the physical environment in which the patient is placed. Firstly, information regarding the noise level may be voice information collected and measured by a microphone on the patient terminal 21, or GPS location information of the patient terminal 21. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine whether the location where the patient is located is quiet based on the voice information. Also, the medical information processing device 1 may determine whether the location where the patient is located is a sealed space (i.e., whether privacy can be protected during video calls) based on the location information.

[0036] Secondly, information regarding the communication environment may include information regarding the communication speed and latency of the patient terminal 21, or information regarding the availability of secure communication by the patient terminal 21. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine, based on the former information, whether the communication speed of the patient terminal 21 is above a certain value and the latency is below a certain value (i.e., whether the patient terminal 21 is capable of conducting video calls with a certain quality). Furthermore, the medical information processing device 1 may determine, based on the latter information, whether the network used by the patient terminal 21 is using an access point capable of encrypted Wi-Fi communication, or whether a highly secure network such as a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is available.

[0037] Thirdly, information regarding the presence of medical devices may also include GPS location information of the patient terminal 21 and the medical devices. Medical devices include large medical devices such as X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) devices, ultrasound diagnostic (UL) devices, and CT-equipped vehicles, as well as small medical devices such as thermometers, blood pressure monitors, cameras, and smartwatches. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine whether or not a medical device is located near the patient based on this information. Incidentally, if a medical device is located near the patient, the physician can instruct a medical assistant or the patient to perform the necessary procedures for diagnosis, thus making it easier for the physician to perform online diagnoses.

[0038] In addition, patient environment information includes information about the patient's location. This information may be GPS location information from the patient terminal 21. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine whether the patient is indoors or outdoors based on this information. For example, if the location information of the patient terminal 21 indicates the inside of a building, the medical information processing device 1 may determine that the patient is inside the building.

[0039] Patient availability information may also be presence information from a scheduling application installed on the patient terminal 21. Presence information is, for example, information indicating the presence status of the patient, such as whether or not they are available for contact. The presence status includes states where contact is possible (e.g., available) and states where contact is not possible (e.g., at work, busy, on a call, in a meeting, in a conference call, away from the office, outside business hours, offline). In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine whether or not the patient is available for contact based on this information. Furthermore, if the medical information processing device 1 receives a selection result regarding the medical treatment content from the patient terminal 21, it may determine that the patient terminal 21 is available for contact.

[0040] Patient health information may also be vital signs measured by the patient terminal 21. Vital signs include information on at least one of the following: the patient's respiration, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and level of consciousness. Alternatively, vital signs may also be information stored in the hospital information system 3.

[0041] Furthermore, patient information may include information regarding the configuration of the patient terminal 21. Specifically, this information includes whether the patient terminal 21 has a configuration capable of measuring biological information and information regarding the performance of such configuration. This information includes, for example, whether the patient terminal 21 has a camera for measuring biological information and information regarding whether such camera can be used with a certain level of image quality or higher.

[0042] On the other hand, "medical function information" refers to various information about the medical functions that can be provided to the patient. Medical function information includes medical environment information regarding the location of the medical professional responsible for the medical treatment the patient is scheduled to receive, and medical professional availability information regarding whether or not the medical professional is available. In this embodiment, "medical professional" refers to a physician who owns the physician terminal 22. In other embodiments, "medical professional" refers to healthcare workers including, for example, physicians, dentists, pharmacists, public health nurses, midwives, nurses, licensed practical nurses, dental hygienists, radiological technologists, dental technicians, clinical laboratory technologists, public health laboratory technologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, orthoptists, clinical engineers, prosthetists and orthotists, paramedics, speech therapists, registered dietitians, and nutritionists. Medical function information may include information similar to patient information. That is, medical function information may include information obtained by replacing "patient" with "physician" and "patient terminal 21" with "physician terminal 22" in the patient information described above.

[0043] Healthcare worker environment information includes information about at least one of the following: noise levels, communication environment, and the presence of medical equipment at the location where the healthcare worker is located. This information can also be described as information about the physical environment in which the healthcare worker is situated. Healthcare worker environment information includes information similar to that of patient environment information.

[0044] Medical professional preference information may also include presence information from the scheduling app installed on the physician's terminal 22. Medical professional preference information includes similar information to patient preference information.

[0045] Furthermore, the medical function information may include information regarding the physician's role in medical treatment. Specifically, this information includes information regarding whether the physician is the patient's primary physician or advisor. In addition, when multiple physicians are treating one patient, this information includes information regarding whether, in addition to the primary physician, another specialist is available for video call. The medical function information may also include information regarding the physician's skill level in medical treatment (e.g., years of experience) and whether the physician has access to patient information and the hospital information system 3 (e.g., whether the physician is logged into the hospital information system 3). In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 may determine that a physician is capable of conducting online diagnoses if their skill level is five years or more. Also, the medical information processing device 1 may determine that a physician is capable of conducting health and medical consultations if they are a resident physician.

[0046] In step S105, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether medical treatment is possible using its determination function 112. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether the conditions necessary for performing the medical treatment selected in step S103 are met, based on the patient information and medical function information acquired in step S104. For example, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether the patient can receive the medical treatment from a medical professional based on the medical treatment information, patient environment information, and medical professional environment information related to the medical treatment the patient is scheduled to receive. Subsequently, the medical information processing device 1 outputs one of the following as a determination result: a first determination result indicating that the patient can receive the medical treatment; a second determination result indicating that it will take time for the patient to receive the medical treatment; and a third determination result indicating that the patient cannot receive the medical treatment. Note that either the first determination result or the third determination result may be output.

[0047] If a determination result (third determination result) indicating that the patient is unable to receive the medical treatment is output, the medical information processing device 1 may use its specific function 113 to identify at least one of the reasons why the patient is unable to receive the medical treatment and a countermeasure to resolve that reason. For example, the medical information processing device 1 may identify "insufficient blood pressure information" as the reason why the patient cannot receive the medical treatment they desire, and identify "measurement of blood pressure information" as the countermeasure to that reason. Subsequently, the medical information processing device 1 may start measuring the patient's blood pressure information by launching a blood pressure measurement application installed on the patient terminal 21. In addition, the medical information processing device 1 may reserve or order medical equipment or test kits necessary for the patient to receive the above medical treatment. In any of the above embodiments, the medical information processing device 1 can reduce the effort required of the patient and make various preparations so that the patient can receive the medical treatment they desire.

[0048] In step S106, the medical information processing device 1 transmits the determination result using the transmission function 114. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 transmits the determination result output in step S105 to the patient terminal 21. At this time, the medical information processing device 1 may also transmit the above-mentioned cause and countermeasures to the patient terminal 21.

[0049] In step S107, the patient terminal 21 displays the determination result. Specifically, the patient terminal 21 displays at least one of the determination result, cause, and countermeasure transmitted from the medical information processing device 1 on the display 213. This allows the patient, who is the owner of the patient terminal 21, to confirm whether or not the medical treatment selected in step S103 is available. Furthermore, the patient can confirm the cause and countermeasure if the medical treatment they selected is not available. The determination result indicating that the medical treatment selected by the patient is available (first determination result), the determination result indicating that it will take time to receive the medical treatment (second determination result), and the determination result indicating that the medical treatment is not available (third determination result) may be displayed in different colors. In addition, each determination result may be displayed in a table or list.

[0050] The operation example (steps S101-S107) of the medical information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment has been described above. According to the operation example above, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether or not a specific medical treatment selected by the patient is available, and then transmits the determination result regarding that medical treatment to the patient terminal 21. The medical information processing device 1 is not limited to this, but may also determine whether or not each of the multiple medical treatments in step S101 is available and display the determination result for each. In this case, the patient, who is the owner of the patient terminal 21, can simultaneously determine whether or not each of the multiple medical treatments is available.

[0051] Figure 5 shows a first example of the Treatment Feasibility Determination Condition Table 200. The Treatment Feasibility Determination Condition Table 200 is a table that stores multiple treatment options and at least one determination condition associated with each of those treatment options. The Treatment Feasibility Determination Condition Table 200 can also be described as a table that stores treatment information for each of the multiple treatment options. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 determines that a treatment option is feasible if the acquired patient information and medical function information satisfy all of the multiple conditions (condition 1, condition 2, condition 3, etc.) associated with the treatment option selected by the patient. The creation and updating of the Treatment Feasibility Determination Condition Table 200 may be performed manually by the administrator of the medical information processing device 1, or it may be performed automatically by machine learning or the like, utilizing big data related to the big data collected from the patient's health status and surrounding environment based on IoT (Internet of Things) technology.

[0052] For example, the medical service in "No. 1" is "online diagnosis of hypertension," and this service is associated with multiple criteria (Condition 1: "The doctor is able to conduct a video call," Condition 2: "The patient's blood pressure information can be measured" or "Previously measured blood pressure information can be referenced," Condition 3...). On the other hand, the medical service in "No. 2" is "health consultation for hypertension (video call)," and this service is associated with one criterion (Condition 1: "The doctor is able to conduct a video call"). Generally, when a doctor conducts an online diagnosis, the doctor needs to refer to the patient's biometric information, whereas when a doctor conducts a health consultation, the doctor does not need to refer to the patient's biometric information and only needs to be able to conduct a video call. Based on these differences in the level of medical service, different criteria may be set for each medical service in the Medical Service Feasibility Criteria Table 200.

[0053] Figure 6 shows a second example of the Treatment Feasibility Determination Conditions Table 200. The Treatment Feasibility Determination Conditions Table 200 includes information on the form in which the treatment will be performed (treatment format). "Treatment format" refers to the method by which treatment for a disease is performed, regardless of the type of disease being treated (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, COVID-19). Specifically, treatment formats include "online diagnosis," "online consultation recommendation," "health and medical consultation (video call / chat with a doctor / nurse)," and "health and medical consultation (chatbot)." The medical information processing device 1 determines that a treatment format is feasible if the acquired patient information and medical function information meet all of the multiple conditions (condition 1, condition 2, condition 3, etc.) associated with the treatment format selected by the patient.

[0054] For example, the medical treatment format in "No. 1" is "online diagnosis," and this format is associated with multiple criteria (Condition 1: "The doctor is able to make a video call," Condition 2: "The patient's biometric information can be measured" or "Measured biometric information can be referenced," Condition 3...). On the other hand, the medical treatment format in "No. 2" is "online consultation recommendation," and this format is associated with multiple criteria (Condition 1: "The doctor is able to make a video call," Condition 2: "The doctor can access the hospital information system," Condition 3...). Based on these differences in medical treatment formats, different criteria may be set for each medical treatment format in the Medical Treatment Feasibility Judgment Criteria Table 200.

[0055] Figure 7 shows a first example of a screen displaying the results of the medical treatment assessment. In this embodiment, the screen is displayed on the display 213 of the patient terminal 21. In the first example, after screen A1, which displays the assessment results of whether or not medical treatment is possible, is displayed, screen A1 transitions to screen A2 in response to the patient's operation input via the input IF 214 of the patient terminal 21. Hereafter, each screen may be displayed to fit the screen size of the display 213.

[0056] On screen A1, a medical treatment feasibility determination result table 300 is displayed, showing the determination result of whether or not medical treatment is possible. The medical treatment feasibility determination result table 300 is a table that stores multiple medical treatments and the determination result associated with each of those medical treatments. Furthermore, each determination result is associated with a "status" that indicates whether or not the medical treatment is possible. This status is displayed by a marker of a different color (e.g., red, yellow, green) depending on the type of determination result. In this embodiment, red indicates that treatment is not possible, yellow indicates that it will take time before treatment is possible, and green indicates that treatment is possible. In other words, red corresponds to a determination result (third determination result) indicating that the patient is not able to receive the medical treatment in question, yellow corresponds to a determination result (second determination result) indicating that it will take time before the patient can receive the medical treatment in question, and green corresponds to a determination result (first determination result) indicating that the patient is able to receive the medical treatment in question.

[0057] For example, the medical service "Online diagnosis of hypertension" is associated with a status of "red" and a judgment result of "Blood pressure measurement is required." On the other hand, the medical service "Health consultation for hypertension (video call)" is associated with a status of "yellow" and a judgment result of "You can be seen in 15 minutes." Furthermore, the medical service "Health consultation for hypertension (chat)" is associated with a status of "green" and a judgment result of "You can be seen immediately." The patient, who owns the patient terminal 21, can determine which medical services are immediately available by looking at the medical service availability judgment result table 300. In particular, the patient can easily and intuitively determine which medical services are immediately available by looking at the color of the marker corresponding to each type of judgment result.

[0058] Here, we assume that the patient moves the cursor 350 on screen A1 via the input IF214 of the patient terminal 21 and selects the judgment result "Blood pressure measurement is required." In this case, the blood pressure measurement application installed on the patient terminal 21 is launched, and screen A1 transitions to screen A2.

[0059] On screen A2, window 400 is displayed, showing the measurement results of the patient's blood pressure information. In window 400, the patient's maximum blood pressure (high pressure / mmHg) and minimum blood pressure (low pressure / mmHg) during or after measurement are displayed. The medical information processing device 1 may update the treatment eligibility determination result table 300 based on the blood pressure information once the patient's blood pressure information has been measured. In this case, the determination result "Blood pressure measurement is required" may be updated to "You can see a doctor immediately," and the status "Red" may be updated to "Green."

[0060] On the other hand, consider the case where the patient moves the cursor 350 on screen A1 via the input IF214 of the patient terminal 21 and selects the judgment result "You can be seen in 15 minutes." In this case, the patient terminal 21 may send a message to the physician's terminal 22 of the physician in charge of the medical treatment corresponding to the judgment result, indicating that the patient is on standby. This allows the physician to know that the patient is on standby and take action, such as changing their schedule, to attend to the patient. Of course, the physician may also proactively contact the patient terminal 21 from the physician's terminal 22 as soon as the predetermined time has elapsed and they are ready to attend.

[0061] Alternatively, consider a scenario where the patient moves the cursor 350 on screen A1 via the input IF214 of the patient terminal 21 and selects the judgment result "You can see a doctor immediately." In this case, the patient terminal 21 may contact the doctor's terminal 22 of the corresponding physician. This may initiate an online consultation between the doctor and the patient. Furthermore, when the online consultation ends, the judgment result "You can see a doctor immediately" may be updated to "You have already seen a doctor," and the status "green" may be updated to a marker indicating another color (e.g., blue).

[0062] Figure 8 shows a second example of a screen displaying the results of the treatment content assessment. In the second example, after screen B1, which displays multiple disease names included in the treatment eligibility criteria table 200, is displayed, screen B1 transitions to screen B2 according to the patient's operation entered via input IF214 on the patient terminal 21. Note that "disease name" is included in "treatment content" of the treatment eligibility criteria table 200.

[0063] On screen B1, a disease name table 310 is displayed, showing multiple disease names included in the treatment eligibility criteria table 200. For example, the disease name table 310 contains "hypertension," "diabetes," "COVID-19," etc. Now, let's assume that the patient moves the cursor 350 on screen B1 via the input IF214 of the patient terminal 21 and selects the disease name "hypertension." In this case, screen B1 transitions to screen B2.

[0064] On screen B2, a treatment eligibility determination result table 300 is displayed, showing the determination results for each of the multiple treatment methods for hypertension (e.g., online diagnosis, health consultation (video call / chat)). This display method allows patients to view the eligibility for each treatment method, limited to the disease they are interested in from among the multiple disease names. This display method allows patients to quickly check the determination results for the treatment method they are interested in, compared to when all treatment options included in the treatment eligibility determination condition table 200 are displayed.

[0065] Figure 9 shows a third example of a screen displaying the results of the medical treatment assessment. In the third example, after screen C1, which displays multiple candidates indicating the patient's subjective symptoms, is displayed, screen C1 transitions to screen C2 in response to the patient's operation entered via input IF214 on the patient terminal 21.

[0066] On screen C1, a symptom table 320 is displayed, which stores multiple candidate symptoms that the patient perceives. For example, the symptom table 320 may contain "difficulty breathing" or "shortness of breath," "numbness in the legs," etc. Now, let's assume that the patient moves the cursor 350 on screen C1 via the input IF214 of the patient terminal 21 and selects the symptom "difficulty breathing" or "shortness of breath." In this case, screen C1 transitions to screen C2.

[0067] On screen C2, a treatment feasibility judgment result table 300 is displayed, showing multiple treatment options related to the selected symptom, and the corresponding judgment results for each of these options. The treatment options may also be "treatment options that patients generally desire" estimated by the medical information processing device 1 by analyzing historical data. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 collects historical data of treatment options performed on various patients in the past, and searches for cases related to the current health status (e.g., body temperature, pulse, blood pressure) of the patient being treated from this historical data. Subsequently, the medical information processing device 1 may estimate treatment options based on the cases that have been searched. With this display method, patients can visually check the feasibility of treatment for each treatment option, limited to the symptoms they are interested in from among the multiple symptom options. With this display method, compared to when all judgment results for all treatment options included in the treatment feasibility judgment condition table 200 are displayed, patients can quickly check the judgment results for treatment options they are interested in.

[0068] The medical information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment has been described above. According to the medical information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment, doctors and patients can conduct online medical consultations at the time they need them, without being limited by location. As a result, the medical information processing system 100 can improve the satisfaction of doctors and patients with online medical consultations. Furthermore, because the medical information processing system 100 improves the speed of online medical consultations, it can contribute to the early detection or early treatment of patients' diseases. From the above viewpoint, the medical information processing system 100 can improve the quality of online medical consultations.

[0069] (Second Embodiment) Next, the medical information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described. Unless otherwise specified, the configurations of the medical information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0070] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of the medical information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment. In addition to the configurations of the first embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 according to the second embodiment has a decision function 115 in the processing circuit 11 and a medical treatment content determination condition table 500 in the memory 12. Note that the medical treatment content included in the medical treatment content determination condition table 500 and the medical treatment content included in the medical treatment feasibility determination condition table 200 only need to be associated with each other.

[0071] The decision function 115 determines the medical treatment the patient is scheduled to receive based on patient health information regarding the patient's health status. The decision function 115 is an example of a decision unit.

[0072] Figure 11 shows an example of the operation of the medical information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment. The series of steps (S201-S206) shown in this example of operation may be initiated when the medical information processing device 1 receives a request from the patient terminal 21, similar to the first embodiment.

[0073] In step S201, the medical information processing device 1 acquires patient health information using its acquisition function 111. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 acquires this information actively or passively from the patient terminal 21 or the hospital information system 3. For example, the medical information processing device 1 may acquire this information periodically, or it may passively acquire this information transmitted by the patient terminal 21 or the hospital information system 3.

[0074] Firstly, patient health information may include the results of urine tests performed by an IoT toilet when the patient uses such a toilet. Secondly, patient health information may include information from a COVID-19 contact tracing app regarding contact with an infected person or places where contact with an infected person may have occurred. Thirdly, patient health information may include blood pressure information measured by a wrist-worn blood pressure monitor while the patient is sleeping.

[0075] In step S202, the medical information processing device 1 determines the treatment content using its decision function 115. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 identifies a disease from among the multiple diseases covered by the treatment content determination condition table 500 that includes the patient health information acquired in step S201 as a determination condition. Subsequently, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether all the determination conditions related to the treatment content of the identified disease are satisfied by the acquired patient health information (i.e., whether treatment is necessary). If it is determined that the determination conditions are satisfied, the medical information processing device 1 determines the treatment content associated with those determination conditions as the treatment content the patient is scheduled to receive. The determined treatment content can also be said to be the treatment content the patient should receive.

[0076] In step S203, the medical information processing device 1 acquires patient information and medical function information using its acquisition function 111. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 identifies the conditions necessary to carry out the medical treatment determined in step S202 from the medical treatment feasibility determination condition table 200. Subsequently, the medical information processing device 1 acquires patient information and medical function information from the patient terminal 21, physician terminal 22, nurse terminal 23, and hospital information system 3 as information necessary to determine the identified conditions. In other words, step S203 is the same as step S104.

[0077] In step S204, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether or not medical treatment is possible using its determination function 112. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 determines whether or not the conditions necessary for executing the medical treatment determined in step S202 are met, based on the patient information and medical function information acquired in step S203. In other words, step S204 is the same as step S105.

[0078] In step S205, the medical information processing device 1 transmits the judgment result using the transmission function 114. Specifically, the medical information processing device 1 transmits the judgment result output in step S204 to the patient terminal 21. In other words, step S205 is the same as step S106.

[0079] In step S206, the patient terminal 21 displays the judgment result. Specifically, the patient terminal 21 displays the judgment result transmitted from the medical information processing device 1 on the display 213. In other words, step S206 is the same as step S107. The judgment result may be displayed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0080] Figure 12 shows an example of a medical treatment content determination condition table 500. The medical treatment content determination condition table 500 is a table that stores multiple medical treatment contents and at least one determination condition associated with each of the multiple medical treatment contents. The medical treatment content determination condition table 500 can also be described as a table that stores medical treatment content information for each of the multiple medical treatment contents. In this embodiment, the medical information processing device 1 determines that a medical treatment is feasible if the acquired patient information and medical function information satisfy any one of the multiple conditions (condition 1-1, condition 1-2, condition 1-3...) associated with the medical treatment contents determined based on the patient's health information. The creation and updating of the medical treatment content determination condition table 500 may be performed manually by the administrator of the medical information processing device 1, or it may be performed automatically by machine learning or the like. In this case, the creation and updating of the medical treatment content determination condition table 500 may be performed by referring to the medical treatment guidelines published for each disease. The medical information processing device 1 can determine the necessity of medical treatment for each medical treatment content based on the medical treatment content determination condition table 500.

[0081] The medical information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment has been described above. The medical information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment provides the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, the medical information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment eliminates the need for patients to select the medical treatment they wish to receive, and automatically selects the medical treatment that the patient should receive. In other words, since the medical information processing system 100 proposes appropriate medical treatment based on the patient's health condition, it can be said to be a more convenient system for patients.

[0082] According to at least one embodiment described above, online medical consultations can be conducted at any time and place.

[0083] 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 implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of embodiments are possible 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]

[0084] 1. Medical Information Processing Device 3. Hospital Information System 4 Network 11,211,221,231 Processing Circuit 12,212,222,232 memory 21 Patient terminal 22 Doctor's terminal 23 Nurse terminal 100 Medical Information Processing Systems 111 Acquisition function 112 Judgment Function 113 Specific Functions 114 Transmission function 115 Decision Function 200 Table of conditions for determining whether or not medical treatment is available 213,223,233 displays 300 Treatment availability determination result table 310 Disease name table 320 Symptom table 350 Cursors 400 windows 500 Condition table for determining medical treatment content

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores a table containing information about the medical treatment a patient is scheduled to receive and judgment conditions associated with the said medical treatment, If the medical treatment selected by the patient is an online diagnosis or recommendation for an online consultation, the determination criterion identified from the table is that the medical professional responsible for the medical treatment is able to conduct a video call with a certain level of quality. An acquisition unit acquires patient environment information relating to the environment of the location where the patient is located, which includes the patient's communication speed and delay, and medical professional environment information relating to the environment of the location where the medical professional is located, which includes the medical professional's communication speed and delay. A determination unit determines whether the determination conditions are met by determining whether the communication speed of the patient and the medical personnel is above a certain value and whether the delay of the patient and the medical personnel is below a certain value, A medical information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned medical treatment information includes information regarding the form in which the aforementioned medical treatment is performed. The medical information processing device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned patient environment information includes information regarding the presence of medical assistants at the location where the patient is located. A medical information processing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The patient environment information includes information regarding at least one of the following: noise level, communication environment, and presence of medical devices at the location where the patient is located. The aforementioned medical professional environment information includes information regarding at least one of the following: noise level, communication environment, and presence of medical equipment at the location where the medical professional is located. A medical information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The acquisition unit further acquires patient-related information regarding whether the patient is able to receive treatment and medical-related information regarding whether the medical-related person is able to receive treatment. The determination unit, based on the patient's circumstances information and the medical provider's circumstances information, determines whether the patient is able to receive the medical treatment from the medical provider. A medical information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The acquisition unit further acquires patient health information regarding the patient's health status, A decision unit that determines the content of medical treatment based on the patient's health information, A medical information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the above.

7. The aforementioned patient health information includes information regarding at least one of the following: the patient's respiration, body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and level of consciousness. The medical information processing device according to claim 6.

8. Computers A table containing information about the medical treatment the patient is scheduled to receive and the judgment conditions associated with the said medical treatment is stored in the memory unit. If the medical treatment selected by the patient is an online diagnosis or recommendation for an online consultation, the determination criterion identified from the table is that the medical professional responsible for the medical treatment is able to conduct a video call with a certain level of quality. As patient environment information relating to the environment of the location where the patient is located, the patient's communication speed and delay are acquired, and as medical professional environment information relating to the environment of the location where the medical professional is located, the medical professional's communication speed and delay are acquired. The determination of whether the determination conditions are met is made by determining whether the communication speed of the patient and the medical professional is above a certain value and whether the delay of the patient and the medical professional is below a certain value. Medical information processing method.

9. On the computer, A memory function that stores in a memory unit a table containing information about the medical treatment a patient is scheduled to receive and judgment conditions associated with the said medical treatment, If the medical treatment selected by the patient is an online diagnosis or recommendation for an online consultation, the determination criterion identified from the table is that the medical professional responsible for the medical treatment is able to conduct a video call with a certain level of quality. An acquisition function that acquires patient environment information relating to the environment of the location where the patient is located, including the patient's communication speed and delay, and medical professional environment information relating to the environment of the location where the medical professional is located, including the medical professional's communication speed and delay. A determination function that determines whether the determination conditions are met by determining whether the communication speed of the patient and the medical professional is above a certain value and whether the delay of the patient and the medical professional is below a certain value, A medical information processing program that makes this possible.

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