Method of providing healthcare support service, communication unit, and system and apparatus for providing healthcare support

• US 20050148831A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takada, Yoichi, Sato, Kozo, Haragashira, Motoji, Shibata, Mariko
• Granted Patent: US 8,734,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/01 Emergency care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A patient terminal can communicate with doctor terminals and a center terminal via a communication network. The patient terminal acquires vital data from a measuring device with a receiving unit. A control unit determines whether the vital data contains an abnormal value and the necessity of messaging depending on the presence or absence of a manual messaging request with a message button and selects the doctor terminal or the center terminal. When it is determined that messaging is necessary, the control unit makes a communication unit call the selected terminal.

Claims

1. A method of providing a healthcare support service with a healthcare support apparatus connectable to a plurality of providing-side terminals via a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring patient'"'"'s vital data;

determining the necessity of messaging from the vital data; and

selecting a destination terminal from the plurality of providing-side terminals according to the vital data and predetermined selecting conditions.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting information on the patient to the destination terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the vital data to the destination terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vital data transmitted via the communication network is acquired from the patient terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vital data is acquired from a measuring device for measuring the patient'"'"'s vital data.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not the plurality of providing-side terminals each permit the messaging; and

selecting the destination terminal from the providing-side terminals that permit the messaging.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

when at least part of the plurality of providing-side terminals belongs to a first or second group, where all of the selectable providing-side terminals in the first group do not permit messaging, the destination terminal is selected from the providing-side terminals in the second group.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

calling the destination terminal;

selecting a new destination terminal in response to the fact that the destination terminal does not respond to the call within a first time; and

calling the newly selected destination terminal in response to the fact that the destination terminal does not respond to the call within the first time.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein

when at least part of the plurality of providing-side terminals belongs to a first or second group, where all of the selectable providing-side terminals in the first group do not respond to the call, the destination terminal is selected from the providing-side terminals in the second group.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of connecting the destination terminal that has responded to the call and a patient terminal corresponding to the patient to each other via the communication network.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a messaging request from the patient;

determining the necessity of messaging from the vital data and the input state of the messaging request; and

selecting the destination terminal according to the vital data, the selecting conditions, and the input state of the messaging request.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the messaging request is inputted by receiving messaging-request information transmitted from the patient terminal via the communication network.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the messaging request is inputted by receiving a manual operation.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether or not the vital data contains an abnormal value; and

determining that the messaging is necessary when the messaging request is inputted or when the messaging request is not inputted within a predetermined time after a determination is made that the vital data contains the abnormal value.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the determination on whether or not the vital data contains an abnormal value is made by a criterion determined for each patient.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the determination on whether or not the vital data contains an abnormal value is made depending on the degree of the change of the vital data.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the degree of the change of the vital data is determined as the time integral and the vector value of the vital data.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein when the plurality of providing-side terminals include doctor terminals, where the messaging request is inputted and it is determined that the vital data contains the abnormal value, the destination terminal is selected from the doctor terminals.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein when the plurality of providing-side terminals include assistant terminals different from the doctor terminals, where the messaging request is not inputted within the predetermined time after a determination is made that the vital data contains the abnormal value, the destination terminal is selected from the assistant terminals.

20. A method of providing a healthcare support service by a healthcare support system comprising a patient terminal, a plurality of providing-side terminals, and a healthcare support apparatus connectable to the terminals, wherein

the patient terminal

acquires patient'"'"'s vital data;

and

transmits the vital data to the healthcare support apparatus, and

the healthcare support apparatus

acquires the vital data transmitted from the patient terminal via the communication network;

determines the necessity of messaging from the vital data; and

selects a destination terminal from the plurality of providing-side terminals according to the vital data and predetermined selecting conditions.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein when at least part of the plurality of providing-side terminals is a doctor terminal,

the doctor terminal

receives a manual designation for offline or online;

and

sets the doctor terminal offline with the healthcare support apparatus in response to the reception of the designation for offline and sets the doctor terminal online with the healthcare support apparatus in response to the reception of the designation for online.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein

the healthcare support apparatus

inputs a messaging request from the patient;

determines the necessity of messaging from the vital data and the input state of the messaging request; and

selects the destination terminal according to the vital data, the selecting conditions, and the input state of the messaging request.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the patient terminals and the providing-side terminals allow human communications by alphabetic information or voice information via the communication network.

24. A method of providing a healthcare support service with a communication unit used as a patient terminal in a healthcare support system comprising a patient terminal, a plurality of providing-side terminals, and a healthcare support apparatus connectable to the terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring patient'"'"'s vital data; and

transmitting the vital data to the healthcare support apparatus.

25. A healthcare support apparatus connectable to a plurality of providing-side terminals via a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit for acquiring patient'"'"'s vital data;

a first determination unit configured to determine the necessity of messaging from the vital data; and

a selection unit configured to select a destination terminal from the plurality of providing-side terminals according to the vital data and predetermined selecting conditions.

26. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a transmitting unit configured to transmit information on the patient to the destination terminal.

27. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the transmitting unit further transmits the vital data to the destination terminal.

28. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, wherein:

the apparatus is connectable to a patient terminal via the communication network; and

the acquisition unit acquires the vital data transmitted from the patient terminal via the communication network.

29. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, wherein:

the apparatus is connectable to a measuring device configured to measure the patient'"'"'s vital data; and

the acquisition unit acquires the vital data from the measuring device.

30. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a unit configured to determine whether or not the plurality of providing-side terminals each permit the messaging, wherein

the selection unit selects the destination terminal from the providing-side terminals that permit the messaging.

31. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 30, wherein:

at least part of the plurality of providing-side terminals belongs to a first or second group; and

when all of the selectable providing-side terminals in the first group do not permit messaging, the selection unit selects the destination terminal from the providing-side terminals in the second group.

32. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a calling unit configured to call the destination terminal, wherein:

the selection unit selects a new destination terminal in response to the fact that the destination terminal does not respond to the call within a first time; and

the calling unit calls the destination terminal newly selected by the selection unit in response to the fact that the destination terminal does not respond to the call within the first time.

33. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 32, wherein

at least part of the plurality of providing-side terminals belongs to a first or second group;

and

when all of the selectable providing-side terminals in the first group do not respond to the call, the selection unit selects the destination terminal from the providing-side terminals in the second group.

34. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a unit configured to connect the destination terminal that has responded to the call and a patient terminal corresponding to the patient to each other via the communication network.

35. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising an input unit configured to input a messaging request from the patient, wherein:

the first determination unit determines the necessity of messaging from the vital data and the input state of the messaging request; and

the selection unit selects the destination terminal according to the vital data, the selecting conditions, and the input state of the messaging request.

36. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 35, wherein:

the apparatus is connectable to a patient terminal; and

the input unit inputs the messaging request by receiving messaging-request information transmitted from the patient terminal via the communication network.

37. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the input unit inputs the messaging request by receiving a manual operation.

38. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a second determination unit configured to determine whether or not the vital data contains an abnormal value, wherein

the first determination unit determines that the messaging is necessary when the messaging request is inputted or when the messaging request is not inputted within a predetermined time after a determination is made that the vital data contains the abnormal value.

39. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the second determination unit determines from a criterion determined for each patient whether or not the vital data contains an abnormal value.

40. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the second determination unit determines whether or not the vital data contains an abnormal value depending on the degree of the change of the vital data.

41. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the degree of the change of the vital data is determined as the time integral and the vector of the vital data.

42. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

the plurality of providing-side terminals include doctor terminals; and

the selection unit selects the destination terminal from the doctor terminals when the messaging request is inputted and it is determined that the vital data contains the abnormal value.

43. The healthcare support apparatus according to claim 38, wherein:

the plurality of providing-side terminals include assistant terminals different from the doctor terminals; and

the selection unit selects the destination terminal from the assistant terminals when the messaging request is not inputted within the predetermined time after a determination is made that the vital data contains the abnormal value.

44. A healthcare support system comprising a patient terminal, a plurality of providing-side terminals, and a healthcare support apparatus connectable to the terminals, wherein

the patient terminal comprises:

a unit configured to acquire patient'"'"'s vital data; and

a unit configured to transmit the vital data to the healthcare support apparatus, and

the healthcare support apparatus comprises;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire the vital data transmitted from the patient terminal via the communication network;

a determination unit configured to determine the necessity of messaging from the vital data; and

a selection unit configured to select a destination terminal from the plurality of providing-side terminals according to the vital data and predetermined selecting conditions.

45. The healthcare support system according to claim 44, wherein

at least part of the plurality of providing-side terminals is a doctor terminal, wherein

the doctor terminal comprises:

a unit configured to receive a manual designation for offline or online; and

a unit configured to set the doctor terminal offline with the healthcare support apparatus in response to the reception of the designation for offline and setting the doctor terminal online with the healthcare support apparatus in response to the reception of the designation for online.

46. The healthcare support system according to claim 44, wherein

the healthcare support apparatus further comprises:

an input unit configured to input a messaging request from the patient;

the first determination unit determines the necessity of messaging from the vital data and the input state of the messaging request; and

the selection unit selects the destination terminal according to the vital data, the selecting conditions, and the input state of the messaging request.

47. The healthcare support system according to claim 44, wherein the patient terminals and the providing-side terminals further comprise a unit configured to allow human communications by alphabetic information or voice information via the communication network.

48. A communication unit used as a patient terminal in a healthcare support system comprising a patient terminal, a plurality of providing-side terminals, and a healthcare support apparatus connectable to the terminals, the communication unit comprising:

a unit configured to acquire patient'"'"'s vital data; and

a unit configured to transmit the vital data to the healthcare support apparatus.