Hospital Ward Notification Control for Caregiver Workload Balance

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to effectively manage caregiver workload in healthcare settings, leading to excessive or insufficient patient care notifications, which can impact the quality of care provided.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system that calculates hospital ward load information and allowable load information based on set conditions, displaying a setting screen to balance caregiver workload, and executes notifications only when necessary, using sensors to monitor patient and environmental data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If notification processing is executed frequently to ensure patient care quality, then patient care quality is improved, but caregiver workload increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient care qualityVSAvoidcaregiver workload

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts notification execution parameters (thresholds, timing, frequency) based on calculated load information. When ward load exceeds allowable levels, the system modifies notification parameters to reduce frequency while maintaining essential care quality, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable care and manageable workload

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where notification execution results and current workload status are continuously monitored. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust future notification decisions based on past performance and current conditions, optimizing both care quality and workload management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If notification processing is restricted to reduce caregiver workload, then caregiver workload is managed, but necessary patient care may be missed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecaregiver workload managementVSAvoidpatient care completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts notification execution parameters (thresholds, timing, frequency) based on calculated load information. When ward load exceeds allowable levels, the system modifies notification parameters to reduce frequency while maintaining essential care quality, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable care and manageable workload

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where notification execution results and current workload status are continuously monitored. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust future notification decisions based on past performance and current conditions, optimizing both care quality and workload management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If load calculation is performed in real-time to balance caregiver workload, then workload management accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkload management accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary calculations of allowable load based on target time and caregiver numbers before notification execution. This advance preparation reduces the complexity of real-time decision-making by pre-establishing thresholds and criteria, thus achieving accurate workload management without excessive system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The load calculation system is divided into separate functional modules: allowable load calculation unit, current load calculation unit, and notification execution determination unit. This segmentation allows each module to perform specialized functions with simpler logic, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250329442A1Information processing system and information processing method

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 PARAMOUNT BED CO LTD

AI summary

An information processing system includes: a controller configured to set a condition for executing a notification processing related to a patient to a caregiver, the controller being configured to execute the notification processing if the condition is satisfied; and a display configured to display a setting screen used for setting of the notification processing by controlling the controller. The controller is configured to: obtain first information indicating a degree of loads needed for the caregiver to deal with notification processing on per-hospital ward basis, if the notification processing is executed, and obtain second information indicating a degree of allowable loads, based on third information indicating a target time in dealing with the notification processing and the number of the caregivers to deal with the notification processing, and the display is configured to display information indicating the relationship between the first information and the second information in the setting screen.