Device for optimizing patient flow

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for optimizing a patient flow for maximizing patient convenience and enabling efficient operation of a hospital. To this end, the present invention provides a device for optimizing a patient flow, comprising: a first module that confirms that a patient has visited a hospital when a trigger device installed in the hospital and a patient terminal interact; a second module that provides guidance to the patient terminal to a next destination in the hospital, including an examination room and a testing room, on the basis of a treatment schedule for the patient whose visit has been confirmed by the first module; and a third module that the changes the patient flow and transmits same to the second module when a preset treatment schedule or patient flow changes according to a doctor's orders in the hospital.

Description

Treatment route optimization device

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for optimizing medical treatment flow. More specifically, it relates to a device for optimizing medical treatment flow that maximizes patient convenience and enables efficient hospital operation.

[0002] When an outpatient visits a small or medium-sized hospital for treatment or testing, they typically register using an identification number, such as their resident registration number, and wait in the outpatient clinic. When called, they receive treatment, pay the fee, and wait in line for testing in the clinic. After the test, they wait in the clinic until called again, receive treatment, pay the fee, receive a prescription, and then pick up their medication at the pharmacy.

[0003] The admission and treatment process for inpatients is similar. Patients register using an identification number, such as their resident registration number, complete the admission process, and are then taken to the ward. During their hospital stay, they schedule a treatment schedule, wait in line, and receive treatment. During discharge, they pay their hospitalization and treatment fees, receive a prescription, and pick up their medication from the pharmacy upon discharge.

[0004] Whether outpatient or inpatient, visiting a hospital for consultations, tests, treatment, prescriptions, and various other services typically involves a vague and repetitive wait. While the electronic board in front of the treatment room sometimes displays the names of patients waiting in line, identification can be difficult when there are many people waiting. Furthermore, it can take considerable time for names to be displayed after registration, and even after they are, it's impossible to predict how long the patient will have to wait. This unpredictability on days when hospital appointments are scheduled creates the inconvenience of not being able to accurately plan future appointments.

[0005] In particular, as hospitals grow larger, patient flow within the hospital typically becomes increasingly complex. Individual procedures, such as reception, payment, treatment, and testing, are performed in different locations. Sometimes, the distances between these locations can be quite long, or the routes involved can be quite complex. Patients unfamiliar with the hospital's internal structure can sometimes find themselves lost.

[0006] Meanwhile, aside from lengthening and complicating patient flow within the hospital, the more units a patient must navigate, the more patients may overlap with each other, potentially creating bottlenecks in specific units. For example, if some patients visiting during a specific time period require urinalysis and blood tests, while others require blood tests and endoscopy, these patients' paths may overlap, overloading the blood testing lab and significantly increasing patient wait times. This not only increases inconvenience for patients, but also creates a difficult situation for the hospital, with overloaded departments and patient complaints.

[0007] Prior art document: KR Patent Publication No. 10-2159997 (announced on September 25, 2020)

[0008] The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and in particular, the purpose is to provide a treatment route optimization device that maximizes patient convenience and enables efficient operation of the hospital by optimizing and guiding the treatment route of a patient visiting a hospital.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a device for optimizing a patient's treatment route, including: a first module that confirms that a patient has visited a hospital by reacting with a trigger device installed in a hospital and a patient terminal; a second module that guides the patient terminal to the next destination within the hospital, including a treatment room and an examination room, based on a treatment schedule for the patient whose visit has been confirmed by the first module; and a third module that changes the patient's treatment route and transmits the change to the second module when a preset treatment schedule or treatment route is changed according to a prescription of a doctor within the hospital.

[0010] Additionally, the second module can guide the patient terminal to the next destination by comparing the patient's user information and location information with the treatment schedule when the trigger device and the patient terminal react.

[0011] Additionally, the second module can check the number of patients waiting in each laboratory in real time when there are multiple tests in a specific patient's treatment schedule, and guide the laboratory with the smallest number of patients waiting as the next destination on the patient terminal.

[0012] Additionally, the second module can calculate a path from the patient's location information to the examination room with the least number of patients waiting, and if the distance exceeds a threshold or the complexity of the path exceeds a threshold, guide the patient terminal to the examination room with the next lowest number of patients waiting as the next destination.

[0013] In addition, the embodiment of the present invention may further include a fourth module that provides a service screen so that a timeline and location record are displayed on the screen of a patient terminal device when a patient requests confirmation of movement within the hospital after being discharged from the hospital.

[0014] In addition, the embodiment of the present invention may further include a fifth module that updates data of the treatment stage to a node that constitutes a blockchain when a patient terminal device and each trigger device in the hospital react, and synchronizes the data with the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) server.

[0015] In addition, the fifth module includes a blockchain unit that authenticates the patient terminal based on reception information received from a trigger device that receives reception information from the patient terminal and records a transaction regarding the reception information on the blockchain; an EMR linkage middleware unit that logs in to the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) server based on node updates of the blockchain unit and accesses EMR data; and an application linkage control unit that transmits treatment information data other than medical data from among the EMR data to the patient terminal.

[0016] Additionally, the patient terminal device includes a user application that receives treatment information data based on interworking with an application interworking control unit.

[0017] Additionally, the user application includes a blockchain application that accesses an off-chain corresponding to the blockchain to receive the patient's medical information and records the receipt of the medical information on the blockchain.

[0018] Additionally, the trigger device includes a module for identifying the patient's identity and the patient terminal.

[0019] According to the present invention, a trigger device is installed at each location within a hospital, and the patient terminal and the trigger device react to record the patient's user information and location information in real time, thereby providing convenience to the patient by guiding the patient to the next destination according to the treatment schedule.

[0020] In addition, according to the present invention, by setting an optimal route for a patient to visit within a hospital based on various criteria including distance, waiting time, and route complexity, and guiding the patient thereto, there is an effect of maximizing patient convenience and improving hospital efficiency.

[0021] In addition, according to the present invention, when the preset treatment schedule or treatment route is changed according to the prescription of a doctor in the hospital, there is an effect of preventing patient confusion by changing and guiding the patient's treatment route.

[0022] Furthermore, by utilizing the present invention, users can securely access the hospital's EMR system through patient terminals. Blockchain technology ensures the integrity and security of medical data, and triggers enable user authentication and real-time data access. Furthermore, the present invention allows users who regularly visit medical institutions to easily check and manage their health information and medical institution usage history, thereby enhancing the efficiency and convenience of medical services.

[0023] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a treatment route optimization system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of the treatment path optimization device in Figure 1.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a treatment route optimization process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The device for optimizing a treatment route according to the present invention comprises: a first module for confirming that a patient has visited a hospital by reacting with a trigger device installed in a hospital and a patient terminal; a second module for guiding the patient terminal to the next destination within the hospital, including a treatment room and an examination room, based on a treatment schedule for a patient whose visit has been confirmed by the first module; and a third module for changing the treatment route of the patient and transmitting the change to the second module when a preset treatment schedule or treatment route is changed according to a prescription of a doctor within the hospital.

[0027] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. First, when assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are assigned the same numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, if a detailed description of a related known structure or function is judged to obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, although preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, it should be understood that the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified and implemented in various ways by those skilled in the art.

[0028] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a treatment route optimization system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, a medical treatment route optimization system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a patient terminal device (100), a trigger device (200), a communication network (300), a medical treatment route optimization device (400), and a hospital staff device (500), and may further include at least one node separately configured to process the hospital's medical treatment data based on a blockchain.

[0030] The patient terminal device (100) may include a mobile-based terminal device such as a smartphone, a wearable device, or a tablet PC.

[0031] It is preferable for the patient terminal device (100) to install a dedicated application according to the present invention on a smartphone or other device and then run it to utilize mobile-based app services. Using this application, the patient can utilize various services provided by visiting a hospital.

[0032] For example, not only do patients make appointments, but patients also create movement patterns within the hospital when they visit the hospital and begin treatment. Especially in tertiary care institutions like university hospitals, patients may move to various destinations, such as treatment rooms and testing labs.

[0033] Furthermore, a patient's treatment schedule is established upon their visit, whether for their first or return visit to the hospital. This schedule, including the testing rooms the patient must visit and the locations to visit after the test, is typically entered into the hospital staff device (500) by the doctor after the patient receives treatment in the examination room following registration.

[0034] In the case of a repeat visit, the patient's symptoms and treatment process are usually recorded in the patient's medical record through the initial visit, and it is usually determined what tests and / or treatments will be performed upon the return visit after the initial visit. Therefore, the treatment schedule can be set even before the doctor's examination at the time of the repeat visit.

[0035] Accordingly, when a patient visits a hospital, it can be implemented so that the patient can check the treatment schedule for the day, including the treatment route, through an application on the patient terminal device (100).

[0036] In addition, when patients react to a trigger device (200) installed in a treatment room or examination room, etc., and a patient terminal device (100), for example, when the patient terminal device is tagged to the trigger device, the patient's current location is tracked and the patient's movement path is identified, so that the patient terminal device (100) can be guided to the next destination based on this.

[0037] For example, guidance notifications can be provided via push messages within the application. When providing guidance on treatment schedules or next destinations, the hospital's internal structure, including floor plans, can be visualized on a diagram or map, facilitating easy navigation to the next destination. The diagram can be used to indicate the patient's current location to the next destination using arrows or other indicators.

[0038] Patient terminal devices (100) typically move within the hospital for treatment or testing according to the initial confirmed treatment schedule upon visiting the hospital. However, the treatment route may be changed midway through the visit depending on the doctor's prescription. In this case, the patient terminal device (100) can receive the revised schedule from the treatment route optimization device (400).

[0039] In the present invention, optimization of the treatment route can be implemented in various ways.

[0040] This can mean accuracy and efficiency, allowing patients to follow their paths within the hospital without wandering, by ensuring that treatment is performed in a sequential manner, visiting designated treatment rooms and testing labs according to the treatment schedule. Furthermore, it can be implemented to minimize patient travel distances within the hospital, optimizing treatment routes based on distance, or minimizing vertical movement, such as up and down stairs. This will be discussed in detail later.

[0041] The patient terminal (100) is equipped with an application, and the application uses a short-range communication function such as NFC (Near Field Communication) of the terminal, and can communicate with the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) and blockchain system, and can receive guidance on the treatment route within the hospital.

[0042] Patients using a patient terminal device (100) can visit a hospital and perform an action (e.g., tagging) to make the patient terminal device (100) react to a trigger device (200) provided in each treatment room and examination room while moving between each treatment room and examination room. Tagging includes NFC tagging, and in addition to NFC tagging, recognition of the patient terminal device (100) can also be performed through short-range communication that does not require a separate tagging action, such as a beacon, Zigbee, or Wi-Fi.

[0043] The patient terminal (100) may include an NFC device to function as a trigger for NFC tagging or to detect a trigger signal. NFC is a series of communication protocols for short-range communication between two electronic devices, enabling bidirectional communication. In addition, various triggers may be used, including RFID tags, barcode scanners, QR codes, biometric sensors, Bluetooth devices, and voice recognition modules.

[0044] The trigger device (200) can be installed in any location where patient movement needs to be tracked, including clinics or examination rooms within the hospital. For example, the trigger device (200) can be installed in the hospital administration office where patient registration is performed upon arrival, or at the hospital entrance. If a patient has a scheduled appointment for treatment and / or examination due to a repeat visit for the same condition, the trigger device (200) can be implemented so that the patient automatically registers upon entering the hospital without a separate registration at the hospital administration office.

[0045] The trigger device (200), like the patient terminal device (100), performs an operation of detecting a trigger (e.g., an NFC card) or a trigger signal (e.g., an NFC reader). The communication methods of the patient terminal device (100) and the trigger device (200) are configured to correspond to each other. If the trigger of the patient terminal device (100) is an NFC tag, the trigger device (200) can be an NFC reader, if it is a transmitter using a beacon signal, it can be a beacon receiver, and if it is an RFID tag, it can be an RFID reader.

[0046] The trigger device (200) can obtain the identification number of the patient terminal device (100) and provide it to the treatment route optimization device (400) along with its own identification number. In addition, the patient terminal device (100) can obtain the identification number of the trigger device (200) and provide it to the treatment route optimization device (400) along with its own identification number.

[0047] Since the trigger device (200) is installed in each treatment room or examination room in the hospital, a process for setting which trigger device (200) is installed in which treatment room or examination room may be performed in advance. Device or data settings are performed so that the system operates smoothly before providing services. Accordingly, when the patient terminal device (100) tags the trigger device (200) installed in any treatment room, the patient terminal device (100) or the trigger device (200) transmits the device identification numbers for the two devices to the treatment route optimization device (400), thereby identifying which patient is currently in which treatment room or examination room. User information, including the patient's personal information, can be known through the identification information of the patient terminal device (100). It goes without saying that the identification information or user information may be set in advance.

[0048] The trigger device (200) may be placed and operated at strategic points such as entrances, various departments, and specific wards in addition to the treatment room or examination room.

[0049] The trigger device (200) includes a module that identifies the patient's identity and the patient terminal device.

[0050] Instead of installing an NFC tagging device with a trigger device (200), it is also technically possible to install an access point such as a wireless LAN within the hospital and track the location through the distance and direction from the patient based on the strength of the signal, etc. through wireless communication with the patient terminal device (100).

[0051] For example, markers or sensors can be installed at the corners of each floor within a hospital, and based on these, the area of ​​the hospital can be specified or an area detected, and then the locations of treatment rooms and examination rooms within that specified area can be preset in the form of coordinate values, etc. Once the location is determined based on distance and direction through wireless communication with the patient terminal device (100), the location determination result can be compared with the coordinate values ​​of the preset treatment room, etc., and the patient's location can be tracked based on this. In this way, the trigger device can be implemented in various ways.

[0052] The communication network (300) can be configured in various forms, including wired and wireless communication networks. If the medical path optimization device (400) is a hospital server operated by a specific hospital, it can be implemented to operate as an intranet network. If it is a server operated by a separate service provider, it can be implemented as a cloud server, etc. The form or type of the communication network is not limited here.

[0053] The treatment path optimization device (400) can configure a node for storing and managing hospital treatment data based on a blockchain. Furthermore, the treatment path optimization device (400) can be configured to integrate a hospital server, such as an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) server, and a blockchain node.

[0054] The treatment path optimization device (400) can be configured with a hospital staff device (500) to form an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system for electronically processing the treatment data of patients visiting the hospital. The ERP system can refer to a form that electronically connects the hospital server and the computers of hospital staff. Hospitals require an ERP system, and can provide services by connecting to patient terminal devices (100), such as smartphones, via a server or NFC. For example, the treatment path optimization device (400) can perform treatment path optimization operations in addition to an existing ERP system.

[0055] Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of the treatment route optimization device in Figure 1.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 2, the treatment path optimization device (400) includes a first module (410), a second module (420), a third module (430), a fourth module (440), and a fifth module (450).

[0057] The first module (410) confirms that a patient has visited the hospital by reacting to a trigger device (200) and a patient terminal device (100) installed in the hospital.

[0058] The second module (420) guides the patient terminal to the next destination, including a treatment room and an examination room, based on the treatment schedule for the patient whose visit has been confirmed by the first module (410). When the trigger device (200) and the patient terminal (100) react, the second module (420) compares the patient's user information and location information with the treatment schedule and guides the patient terminal to the next destination.

[0059] Additionally, the second module (420) checks the number of patients waiting in each examination room in real time when there are multiple examinations in a specific patient's treatment schedule, and guides the examination room with the least number of patients waiting to the next destination on the patient terminal.

[0060] The number of patients waiting in each examination room can be calculated in real time from the number of patient terminal devices (100) that reacted to the trigger device (200) installed in each examination room. Considering that there may be patients waiting other than app users, it is more accurate to receive the number from the EMR. If there are multiple tests in a specific patient's treatment schedule and they must go to each examination room, the second module (420) calculates the number of patients waiting for multiple examination rooms included in the treatment schedule, derives the examination room with the minimum number of patients waiting, and guides the patient's terminal to the next destination. Of course, this can be applied when there is no priority in the order of each examination, and if the order of examinations is set, the examination rooms are guided in the order of examinations.

[0061] In addition, the second module (420) calculates a route from the patient's location information to the examination room with the minimum number of waiting patients, and if the distance exceeds a threshold and / or the complexity of the route exceeds a threshold, guides the examination room with the next minimum number of waiting patients to the patient terminal as the next destination.

[0062] For example, if there are three places, A, B, and C, where a patient can undergo a test after treatment, the laboratory with the smallest number of patients waiting is Laboratory B, but Laboratory B is located 1.5 times farther from the current location than Laboratory A, and Laboratory A has the next smallest number of patients waiting, the second module (420) guides the patient terminal to Laboratory A as the next destination.

[0063] Meanwhile, the examination room with the smallest number of patients currently waiting is examination room B, but when moving from the current location to examination room B, patients must use multiple elevators or stairs or enter another building through a connecting passage between buildings. If examination room C has the next smallest number of patients waiting, the second module (420) guides examination room C to the next destination on the patient terminal.

[0064] For example, if a patient undergoes two tests, A and B, after treatment and returns home, the testing room with the least number of people waiting is testing room B. If the route of “current location → testing room A → testing room B → exit” is the shortest distance, the second module (420) can guide testing room A to the next destination on the patient terminal.

[0065] This can be particularly useful in cases where the patient suffers from joint or spinal disorders, or is elderly or otherwise mobility-impaired, for whom shortening travel distance and / or reducing route complexity is more important than reducing waiting time. It is desirable to implement thresholds for travel distance and route complexity that are preset and can be adjusted as needed.

[0066] In addition, optimization of the treatment route can be performed according to various criteria.

[0067] The third module (430) changes the patient's treatment route when the established treatment schedule or treatment route is changed according to the doctor's prescription in the hospital and transmits the change to the second module (420).

[0068] For example, the patient's initial schedule was composed of "Treatment Room 1 → Examination Room 1 → Treatment Room 1", but if a schedule change is input from the computer used by the doctor to "Treatment Room 1 → Examination Room 1 → Examination Room 2 → Treatment Room 1", the treatment route is reset accordingly and guidance is provided to the patient terminal (100).

[0069] The treatment route can be changed upon the patient's request and approval of the doctor, and if the doctor understands the current treatment situation and registers or makes a reservation in the third module (430) to process or handle the change in the treatment route of patients with lower priority, the treatment route can be changed so that tests are performed in the examination room before receiving treatment.

[0070] In this way, when treatment data is updated through the EMR system, the patient's schedule and corresponding treatment route are created or determined based on this, thereby providing convenience to patients in using the hospital's treatment rooms and examination rooms.

[0071] The fourth module (440) provides a service screen to display a timeline and location history on the screen of the patient terminal (100) when a patient requests confirmation of their movement within the hospital after being discharged. To this end, the fourth module (440) may include a graphical user interface (GUI) processing module.

[0072] When a service is requested to check data related to the treatment route by running an app on a patient terminal device (100), the fourth module (440) can provide data by displaying a timeline and location records related to the treatment route on a screen in a designated format.

[0073] In addition, by accessing the Mypage item or menu in the online service through the patient terminal device (100) and selecting a button such as 'My medical record', actions such as identifying the treatment route on a specific date can be performed.

[0074] The fifth module (450) updates data at the treatment stage with a node that configures a blockchain to increase the transparency of patient treatment data and prevent falsification of treatment data when the patient terminal device (100) is recognized by each trigger device (200) in the hospital, and synchronizes the data with the hospital's electronic medical record server.

[0075] The fifth module (450) links the electronic medical record server of the hospital and the app of the patient terminal device (100) to record user information together with location information in the electronic medical record system by a trigger such as NFC tagging, and at this time, tampering of medical data can be prevented by using blockchain.

[0076] The fifth module (450) includes a blockchain unit, an EMR linkage middleware unit, and an application linkage control unit.

[0077] The blockchain unit authenticates the patient terminal device (100) based on reception information received from a trigger device (200) that receives reception information from the patient terminal device (100) and records a transaction for the reception information in the blockchain.

[0078] The EMR linkage middleware unit logs into the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) server and accesses EMR data based on node updates from the blockchain unit.

[0079] The application linkage control unit transmits non-medical treatment information data from among EMR data to the patient terminal (100). To this end, the patient terminal (100) includes a user application that receives treatment information data based on linkage with the application linkage control unit of the fifth module. The user application accesses an off-chain corresponding to the blockchain to receive the patient's medical information, and includes a blockchain application that records the receipt of the medical information on the blockchain.

[0080] Medical information data can include the user's existing medical records or data regarding future treatment plans. Specifically, the user's existing medical records may include information related to past treatment received at a hospital.

[0081] Medical records can include records of medical institution visit times. Due to the unique nature of medical institutions, these records often contain time data, such as ward entry and exit times, blood draw times, injection times, and blood pressure measurements. Prescription details and treatment time data can be used to monitor patient status, provide appropriate treatment, and provide supporting evidence in medical disputes.

[0082] Through this medical record data, patients can store the time and actions of various medical records occurring at medical institutions as MyData, and use it as medical MyData, starting with the personal medical record management support service.

[0083] Time-recorded MyData gains value by recording actions and the times they occur, and ensuring transparency in this regard is key. The present invention introduces a trigger system to easily record the time of an action, record it in a ledger, and manage the records via blockchain, thereby ensuring transparency in the records.

[0084] Meanwhile, data on future treatment plans may be information such as plans or scheduled schedules related to treatment that the user will receive in the future.

[0085] Example 1: Schedule and method of chemotherapy scheduled for next week

[0086] Example 2: Regular blood tests and medication adjustment plan accordingly.

[0087] Example 3: Rehabilitation treatment schedule and program for recovery

[0088] However, medical information data does not include the following information. This information is considered medical information and is stored separately off-chain.

[0089] Disease diagnosis history: The user's past diagnosis history of diseases such as colds and flu.

[0090] Surgical records: details of previous surgeries, surgical methods, medications and equipment used during surgery

[0091] Test results: Results of blood tests, X-rays, MRIs, etc. performed during past treatment and interpretation opinions

[0092] Vaccination Information: If you have recently received a vaccine, such as for COVID-19, add this information to your health data so that hospitals can check your vaccination history.

[0093] Drug Allergy Information: Users who have allergic reactions to certain drugs can add that information to their health data so that medical professionals can refer to it when prescribing medication.

[0094] Underlying disease information: Provides information to medical staff to provide effective treatment by updating newly discovered underlying diseases (hypertension, diabetes, etc.) or the status of diseases currently being treated.

[0095] Additionally, changes in lifestyle habits, such as smoking or drinking, may also be included in medical information data.

[0096] The application linkage control unit of the fifth module receives reception information based on the user's reception record, and the blockchain unit records transactions and performs personal authentication. For example, the blockchain unit can record the time of an event, such as a reception or treatment, the action, the user, and the exchange of medical data on the blockchain. This leverages the transparency and immutability of blockchain technology to ensure the reliability of the user's reception record and allows the information to be provided to hospitals or other third parties.

[0097] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the information recorded in the blockchain is as follows.

[0098] Admission Record: In this case, the user's admission record can indicate the confirmation process of treatment or service use at the hospital, and this information is added to the blockchain.

[0099] Medical Data Exchange Records: Data recorded on the blockchain may include event times, actions, users, and medical data exchange records. The event time indicates the exact time of a reception or other event. The action refers to a specific action, such as receiving treatment or using a specific service. The user is the user's identification information for the reception or event. Medical data exchange records provide detailed records of how, when, and where a user's medical data was exchanged.

[0100] According to one embodiment of the present invention, data is recorded in a blockchain as follows.

[0101] 1) Adding Data: To add data, such as a receipt record, to the blockchain, the data must be stored in a block. The block is then linked to the blockchain.

[0102] 2) Approval Process: Adding data to a block typically requires approval from other nodes on the network. This process is typically accomplished through a consensus algorithm such as Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS).

[0103] As mentioned above, once information is added to the blockchain, it is designed to be difficult to modify, ensuring data integrity. Furthermore, the blockchain's distributed structure enhances data security.

[0104] Once the blockchain unit of the fifth module records transactions and performs personal authentication, the EMR-linked middleware and application-linked control unit then transmit the non-medical treatment information data from the EMR data to the patient terminal. This data is provided by the hospital's EMR system, ultimately allowing the user to review their treatment information on their own terminal. According to one embodiment of the present invention, treatment information data can be transmitted only to users who have individually consented. By adopting an individual consent method, unlike a blanket consent method, user information can be appropriately protected for each situation.

[0105] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a user application of a patient terminal device may include a function of receiving the user's medical information stored in an off-chain linked to a blockchain and recording a record of the reception of this information in the blockchain.

[0106] Specifically, off-chain refers to the practice of storing and processing data outside of the blockchain. Managing critical data off-chain can reduce the complexity and capacity of the blockchain, while also improving its speed and efficiency.

[0107] At this time, the off-chain receiving medical information is not limited to the smartphone with the patient terminal's user application installed; it can also be a cloud-based platform. This feature includes receiving medical information from an off-chain counterpart to the blockchain. This ensures privacy by not storing the user's medical information directly on the blockchain, while access records for the medical information are recorded on the blockchain, ensuring information reliability and transparency.

[0108] Blockchain nodes can be linked off-chain as follows:

[0109] Data Storage: Critical data is stored off-chain, i.e., in databases or servers outside the blockchain. This reduces the blockchain load and enhances security.

[0110] Recording Access Paths: Blockchain nodes only record references or access paths to data stored off-chain. Examples include hash values, URLs, URIs, and file paths.

[0111] Verification and Approval: Changes to or access to off-chain data can be subject to appropriate verification and approval processes, and can be automated using blockchain smart contracts.

[0112] Through the above process, a system according to one embodiment of the present invention can safely store important medical data off-chain, and manage access rights and logs for this data on the blockchain.

[0113] In this way, users can actively manage their health status by checking not only their medical history but also their medical information through the user application of the patient terminal device.

[0114] The hospital staff device (500) includes a computer used by administrative staff, doctors, nurses, etc. Furthermore, the hospital staff device (500) may also include equipment for examination rooms or laboratories. The hospital staff device (500) may include not only PC-based terminal devices but also mobile-based terminal devices.

[0115] For example, a doctor working in a clinic or examination room can register a patient's medical data in an ERP system (e.g., a hospital server) via a computer located in that space. Since blockchain generates transactions when data is updated, data synchronization is performed by a separate server or treatment path optimization device (400) that constitutes the blockchain.

[0116] For example, computers used by doctors in clinics or laboratories can also function as blockchain nodes. Doctors managing these nodes can also update clinical data stored within the hospital staff device (500) to the blockchain if other nodes agree to update the data.

[0117] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a treatment route optimization process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 3, the patient terminal device (100) is connected to the trigger device (200) of FIG. 1 installed within the hospital, thereby transmitting user information and location information of patients within the hospital (hereinafter referred to as "tagging information" for convenience) to the treatment route optimization device (400) (S300). The patient terminal device (100) records and stores timelines, location history data, etc. related to the treatment route based on the tagging information.

[0119] The treatment path optimization device (400) records the patient's treatment steps on a blockchain node as the patient moves through the hospital (S310). In other words, by applying blockchain technology to store and manage patient treatment path data, it transparently manages patient treatment data.

[0120] When tagging information related to the patient terminal (100) is provided, the treatment path optimization device (400) guides the patient to the next destination within the hospital according to the schedule retrieved from the EMR (S320). For example, if the patient's schedule is initially set to "Administration Department → Examination Room 1 → Examination Room 1," the patient can perform a destination guidance action via the app upon entering the hospital, requesting that the patient first check in at the Administration Department. Once the check-in process is completed at the Administration Department, the device can provide destination information directing the patient to Examination Room 1.

[0121] At this time, when data related to the patient's prescription is received from a hospital-related device (500) such as a computer held by a doctor, the treatment route optimization device (400) determines whether the received data is related to a change in the treatment route (S340), and if it corresponds to a change in the treatment route, it guides the changed treatment route to the patient terminal device (100).

[0122] The timeline, location record data, etc. related to the treatment route of the visited hospital recorded on the patient terminal device (100) can be checked even after discharge. Even if the timeline, location record data, etc. related to the treatment route recorded on the patient terminal device (100) are deleted due to the patient deleting the app installed on the patient terminal device (100) or replacing the patient terminal device (100) itself, the treatment route optimization device (400) can provide the data to the patient terminal device (100) upon service request after reinstalling the app (S360).

[0123] The above description is merely an illustrative description of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, changes, and substitutions may be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention and the accompanying drawings are not intended to limit the technical idea of ​​the present invention, but rather to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited by these embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The scope of protection of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0124] The present invention can be used in the medical industry.

Claims

1. A first module that confirms that a patient has visited the hospital by reacting to a trigger device installed in the hospital and a patient terminal device; A second module that guides the patient terminal to the next destination within the hospital, including the examination room and laboratory, based on the treatment schedule for the patient whose visit has been confirmed by the first module; and A third module that changes the patient's treatment route and transmits it to the second module when the established treatment schedule or treatment route changes according to the doctor's prescription in the hospital. A device for optimizing clinical paths, including:

2. In paragraph 1, The second module is a treatment route optimization device that compares the patient's user information and location information with the treatment schedule when the trigger device and patient terminal device react, and guides the patient terminal device to the next destination.

3. In paragraph 1 or 2, The second module is a treatment route optimization device that checks the number of patients waiting in each examination room in real time when there are multiple tests in a specific patient's treatment schedule and guides the examination room with the least number of patients waiting to the next destination on the patient terminal.

4. In paragraph 3, The second module is a treatment route optimization device that calculates a route from the patient's location information to the examination room with the least number of waiting patients, and if the distance exceeds a threshold or the complexity of the route exceeds a threshold, guides the examination room with the next lowest number of waiting patients as the next destination to the patient terminal.

5. In paragraph 1, A fourth module that provides a service screen to display a timeline and location record on the screen of a patient terminal when a patient requests confirmation of movement within the hospital after being discharged from the hospital. A device for optimizing the clinical path, which further includes:

6. In paragraph 1, The fifth module updates the data of the treatment stage with the nodes that make up the blockchain when the patient terminal and each trigger device in the hospital react, and synchronizes the data with the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) server. A device for optimizing the clinical path, which further includes:

7. In paragraph 6, Module 5 is, A blockchain unit that authenticates a patient terminal based on reception information received from a trigger device that receives reception information from a patient terminal and records a transaction for the reception information in a blockchain; EMR linkage middleware that logs into the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) server and accesses EMR data based on node updates in the blockchain department; Application linkage control unit that transmits non-medical treatment information data from EMR data to the patient terminal A device for optimizing clinical paths, including:

8. In paragraph 7, The patient terminal device is A device for optimizing a medical treatment route, comprising a user application that receives medical treatment information data based on linkage with an application linkage control unit.

9. In paragraph 8, User applications, A medical treatment route optimization device including a blockchain application that accesses an off-chain corresponding to a blockchain to receive a patient's medical information and records the receipt record of the medical information on the blockchain.

10. In paragraph 7, The trigger device is, A device for optimizing a patient's clinical path, comprising a module for identifying a patient's identity and a patient terminal device.

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