JPH10137301A - Care support system having voice responsive function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the burden of a nurse or carer without impairing the good understanding with a patient by automatically responding by voice to the call of the patient, and also by recording the contents of the call and the contents of treatment in a host device. SOLUTION: A host device H is installed in an office of a hospital and the like, and terminal devices R are installed in the respective sickrooms. When a patient operates a call switch 208 inputs a prescribed code by means of a bar-code reader 250, it is transferred to the host device H through a private telephone line 300. The host device H reads the voice data corresponding to the call from a voice memory part 108, and sends a replay to the terminal device R through the line 300. The vice data are reproduced by a speaker 212 of the terminal device R. When a demand is inputted by a patient through the bar-code reader 250, the host device H returns a confirmation message corresponding to the code to the terminal device R, and also records the information on the contents of the call, time, and the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a care support system such as a nurse call provided in a hospital or the like, and in particular, to reduce a burden on a caregiver without impairing communication with a patient being cared for. The present invention relates to a care support system having a voice response function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a hospital or a nursing care facility, an intercom system generally called a nurse call is widely used so that a patient in a sick room can contact a nurse or a caregiver in a remote station such as a nurse station. Have been. In a most typical configuration, a main unit of an intercom is arranged in a stowage room, and connected to a slave unit of an intercom installed in each hospital room or private room by a cable. Usually, an indicator for indicating a room from which the call is made is attached to the master unit of the bureau.

In such a nurse call system, in response to a call from a patient, the number of the room where the call has occurred is displayed, and the line between the child device in that room and the parent device in the stowage room is opened. The nurse or caregiver in the custody asks the patient in the room what to do. On the other hand, the patient verbally conveys the medical condition and requested items.

[0004]

However, such a conventional nurse call system has the following problems. (1) Since it is necessary to respond to a patient's call in real time, it is necessary to satisfy a patient's request.
Someone must be waiting at the custody. However, if the number of nurses and caregivers is small for the patient, it is easy for the calling patient to be left waiting because no one is in the custody. In such a case, if the patient's call is to signal a sudden change in the medical condition, the patient's life will be affected. Even if this is not the case, the lack of an immediate response to the patient's call can lead to mental stress and dissatisfaction for the patient.

(2) When calls from a plurality of patients are complicated, it is not possible to respond at once from the bureau.
It is necessary to respond in the order in which the calls occurred, and it is difficult to take an appropriate response in consideration of conditions such as the severity of the situation for each call.

There have been problems such as the following.

[0007] Further, in such a nurse call system, the contents of the call of each patient and what treatment has been performed on the contents of the call must be separately recorded by a nurse or caregiver in the form of a diary or the like. Must. This is an extremely cumbersome task for busy nurses and caregivers.
Also, when nurses and caregivers take over work,
Oral handover is performed based on such a diary, which is also complicated and time-consuming.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to automatically answer a voice of a patient's call, and to provide the contents of the call and the action to be taken in the call. An object of the present invention is to provide a nursing support system having a voice response function, which can reduce a burden on a nurse or a caregiver by recording on a host device without impairing communication with a patient to be cared for. .

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a host device, a plurality of terminal devices, and a communication line connecting the terminal devices to the host device. A care support system having a voice response function, which satisfies the requirements of (1) to (5).

(1) Each of the terminal devices has a bar code reader for reading a bar code, and means for calling a host device.

(2) The host device includes an input unit for inputting commands, data, and the like, a storage unit for recording data, and a unit for generating audio data.

(3) From the terminal device, a signal corresponding to the bar code is transmitted to a communication line and input to the host device, and is recorded in storage means together with auxiliary information such as the current time. Audio data corresponding to the signal is generated by the audio data generating means and transmitted to the communication line.

(4) The terminal device further includes a speaker connected to the communication line, and the audio data transmitted to the communication line is input to the speaker of the terminal device and reproduced.

(5) The host device displays or prints out the data stored in the storage means based on the input from the input means.

[0015] The communication line may include a general public line.

Further, the terminal device may further include a display unit, and may be configured to be portable separately from the communication line including the general public line.

Further, the barcode sheet used in the care support system of the present invention has the following requirements (1) to (3).

(1) A bar code indicating "start of work" is provided at one end of the sheet, and a bar code indicating "end of work" is provided at the other end of the sheet.

(2) A first group of barcodes including a barcode indicating an instruction to "download a visiting nursing record from a host device" between one end and the other end of the sheet; Upload to host device "
A second barcode group including a barcode representing an instruction.

(3) The first bar code group and the second bar code group each have a bar code for controlling display on the display unit of the terminal device.

According to the nursing care support system of the present invention having such a configuration, when the patient operates the host device calling means of the terminal device, the host device is called via the communication line to respond to the calling from the terminal device. Since the voice signal to be transmitted is returned to the corresponding terminal device via the communication line to operate the speaker, an automatic voice response is immediately made to the patient's call.

When the patient uses a bar code reader connected to the terminal device to input a code corresponding to the request, the host device transmits the request, the source ID,
In addition to recording data such as the reception time in the storage means, voice data corresponding to those demands is generated by the voice data generation means and transmitted to the communication line, and an automatic voice response is immediately made to the demands of the patient. Is made.

Further, when a treatment performed by a nurse or a caregiver is input using a terminal device in a patient's room and a bar code reader, the host device transmits the treatment item and the I-address of the transmission source.
Data such as D and reception time are recorded in the storage means. The data of the request items from the patient and the treatment items performed by the nurse / caregiver stored in the storage device of the host device are processed into various lists based on the instruction from the input device of the host device. Displayed or printed.

Furthermore, if a general public line is used as the communication line, the terminal device can be installed not only in people who are hospitalized or resident in the facility but also in the home of a person who is receiving home care. People living in an area away from the facility where the device is located can also receive nursing care services similar to those entering the facility,
Nurses and caregivers can access the host device from the place of visit through a general public line, refer to a care record, and record treatment details. The recording of the treatment content is performed by reading a barcode sheet in which predetermined items are described as barcodes in a predetermined procedure using a barcode reader. In this case, if the terminal device is configured to be portable and the nurse or caregiver carries it to the visiting place, the terminal device does not need to be permanently installed in the home of the patient to be cared for.

[0025]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a care support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The host device H is connected to a plurality of terminal devices R via a private telephone line 300 which is a communication line and a private branch exchange 400 which performs line control of the line 300.

The host device H includes a control unit 100,
Display unit 130, printing unit 140, bar code reader 1
50 and an input unit 160. Control unit 1
Reference numeral 00 denotes a central unit that performs arithmetic processing and input / output control of the host device H, and is generally configured by a computer including a CPU having necessary peripheral circuits. Usually, it is a commercially available so-called personal computer that operates on various systems such as "Windows" (Microsoft).

The DTMF decoder 102 is connected to the telephone line 30
0 is input to the control unit 100.
Performs processing to convert to digital signals that can be processed internally.

The host control unit 104 controls the control unit 10
It has a CPU unit that executes data arithmetic processing inside and outside, and controls input / output with peripheral devices. Needless to say, the CPU unit includes an input / output control peripheral circuit and a RAM for temporarily storing data.

The audio data generating means of this embodiment comprises a memory unit 106 and a D / A converter 110.

The memory section 106 is a storage means for storing data input from a bar code reader or the like, and generally uses a hard disk device. Further, the configuration may be made using a general-purpose external storage medium such as a floppy disk or a magneto-optical disk. The audio memory unit 108 is a block that holds audio data corresponding to the input request data and code data of the treatment items as digital data. In general, there is a method of storing and holding sampled digital audio data in a ROM, and reading and controlling desired audio data by addressing.
Alternatively, another storage medium such as a hard disk device may be used.

The D / A converter 110 is provided in the audio memory unit 10
The digital audio signal read from 8 is converted into an analog signal. The converted analog audio signal is transmitted to the telephone line 300 via an interface circuit (not shown).

It is to be noted that not only the configuration in which the voice data itself is stored in the memory as described above, but also the text data corresponding to the input code data is stored in the memory unit 10.
6, the host controller 104 reads out the corresponding text data, and based on the text data, synthesizes the audio data using an appropriate sound source and audio data generation software. Further, for example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a sentence or the like corresponding to the code data is recorded in advance on a storage medium such as a hard disk as audio data, and is read out based on an instruction from the host control unit 104.

The display unit 130 is a display device using a CRT, an LCD, or the like, and is controlled by the host control unit 104 via a display control unit 112 including a video control circuit provided in the control unit 100. The printing unit 14
Reference numeral 0 denotes a printer, which may adopt various types such as laser, ink jet, dot impact, and thermal. The printing unit 140 is controlled by the printing control unit 114 of the control unit 100 having an appropriate printer driver.

The bar code reader 150 is provided for inputting various operation codes (for example, “display unprocessed list”, “print list by call ID”, etc.) previously expressed as bar codes to the control unit 100. Can be The input unit 160 includes a general input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a pen tablet, and provides an instruction to the host control unit 104 via the interface unit 116. In this embodiment, the barcode reader 150 and the input unit 160 constitute an input unit.
In addition, various devices such as a voice recognition system capable of inputting a command or data using voice, a touch panel type monitor, and the like can be applied as the input unit.

Needless to say, the inside of the control unit 100 as hardware does not need to be configured for each block as shown in FIG. Incorporation of an interface circuit or the like (not shown) between the blocks can be appropriately performed in design.

The terminal device R comprises a terminal unit 200 and a barcode reader 250. Terminal unit 2
In 00, the DTMF encoder 202 and the terminal control unit 20
4. Interface unit 206, call switch 20
8, an amplifier 210, and a speaker 212 are provided. The barcode reader 250, similarly to the barcode reader 150 of the host device H, stores various request codes (for example, "the head hurts", "thirsty", " Read the bad code, "I feel chilly", etc.), or the treatment code (for example, "Change sheets", "Change underwear", "Change posture") performed by a nurse / caregiver based on instructions from a doctor Things. The read barcode information is input to the terminal control unit 204 of the terminal unit 200 via the interface unit 206.

The call switch 208 constituting the means for calling the host device is a generally momentary push switch, and outputs a signal corresponding to an open or closed circuit.
The data is input to the terminal control unit 204 via the interface unit 206. Although not shown, the power switch of the terminal device R may be commonly used. In this embodiment, the terminal unit 200 goes off-hook with respect to the telephone line 300 by operating the call switch 208. In this state, the host device H is displayed by the barcode reader 250.
When the "call" barcode is input, the terminal control unit 204
, A trigger signal for starting transmission control to the host device H is given, and the host device H is called.

The terminal control unit 204 is provided with the barcode reader 2
Detects the code data input from 50 and sends the data to the private telephone line 300 via the DTMF encoder 202. As described above, the terminal control unit 204 responds to the input of the “call host device H” code from the barcode reader 250 by sending the DT to the private telephone line 300.
During the period when the MF signal is transmitted and the line with the host device H is held, the code data from the barcode reader 250 is converted into a DTMF signal and transferred to the host device H.

The amplifier 210 provided in the terminal unit 200 reads out from the audio memory unit 108 provided in the control unit 100 of the host device H,
The converted analog audio signal is input by the A converter 110, and the audio data is reproduced through the speaker 212.

The private branch exchange 400 is provided on a telephone line 300 connecting the host device H and each terminal device R, judges a line connection request from each terminal device R, and determines the host device H and each terminal device. A line to the device R is secured.

In the above embodiment, the host device H
Although data transferred between the terminal device R and the terminal device R is converted into a DTMF signal, a pulse signal (usually represented by a pulse train of 10 pps or 20 pps) conventionally used for telephone lines may be used. .

Next, the operation of the care support system of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing routine of a host device H for a call from a terminal device R.

When the call processing routine starts, the host control unit 104 enters an idling state of waiting for a call from the terminal device R (S10 No). When it is determined that the call signal from the terminal device R has been received (incoming call from the terminal device R S10 Yes), the host control unit 104 gives a voice data read command corresponding to the call signal to the voice memory unit 108, and the D / A An audio signal (for example, "Please inform us.") Is transmitted to the terminal device R via the private telephone line 300 via the converter 110 (S20). The terminal device R receives the audio signal and reproduces the phrase “please let me know.” Via the amplifier 210 and the speaker 212.

When the voice output for the call is completed, the host control unit 104 enters an idling state of waiting for a code input from the terminal device R (S30). When the barcode reader 250 connected to the terminal device R is operated and code data indicating a patient ID code, a request item, or a treatment item of a nurse / caregiver is input (S30 Yes)
s), the host control unit 104 determines the type of the input code data and the type of the code data, and determines the type of the code data. "I feel sick, isn't it?", "Replacement of sheets, isn't it?"
Etc.). The read audio data is transmitted to the telephone line 300 through the D / A converter 110, input to the amplifier 210 of the terminal device R, amplified, and
The sound is reproduced by the speaker 212 (S60).

When the voice response is completed, the host control unit 10
4 stores data such as an input code, a sender ID, and a current time in a memory 106 according to a predetermined format.
(S70). Thereafter, the processing routine returns.

In the idling state (S30) for waiting for the input of the code data, a predetermined waiting time is set. If there is no input of the code data after that, the remaining steps are skipped and the operation of FIG. The routine returns. That is, a timeout determination step (S40) is provided to wait for code data input in a state of idling for a predetermined time, and return to a routine after the time has passed.

As described above, the request or treatment code recorded in the memory unit 106 of the host device H, and the data such as the source ID code and the input time of those codes are stored in the display control unit 112 and the print control unit 114. Through the display unit 130 or the printing unit 140 as various lists.
Can be output. Display or print commands, list format commands, etc.
In addition to being able to input by reading the operation code described on the operation sheet by using 0, the input unit 1
Input can also be performed using an input device such as a 60 keyboard or mouse. FIG. 3 (a) and (b)
Shows an example of these output lists. Of course, in addition to this, it is possible to output a list in various formats required for handing over the work between the nurse and the caregiver, such as extracting only untreated items and extracting by bed number.

FIG. 4 is an example of a barcode sheet used by a patient to communicate desired items. The upper edge at one end of the sheet, and the lower edge as the other end,
"Start contact with the garage" and "End contact with the garage" respectively
Is arranged. Further, between the upper edge and the lower edge of the sheet, various demands are described together with the corresponding bar codes. Therefore, by reading these barcodes with the barcode reader 250, the patient can surely convey his / her request to the place. Although not shown, a barcode sheet for a nurse / caregiver to input a treatment code can be configured in the same manner as in FIG. In that case, instead of the request code in FIG. 4, "drip", "wipe", "apply ointment", "excretion assistance", "medication", "walking practice", "massage", "bed make", Barcodes corresponding to treatments such as "posture change", "bathing assistance", "serving", and "meal assistance" may be described. Note that these requests and treatment items are merely examples, and can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the installation destination of the present system. In this embodiment, the barcodes are arranged from the upper side to the lower side of the sheet. However, for example, the barcodes are arranged from the left end side to the right end side. May be adopted.

Next, another embodiment of the care support system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a system configuration of another embodiment. The configuration of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment in that the host device H
And the terminal device R are connected via the general public line N instead of the private telephone line 300. That is, the terminal device R and the barcode reader 250 connected to the terminal device R
Is installed in each home where a person in need of nursing and nursing lives, and the terminal device R can access the host device H of the nursing support system provided in a central hospital or the like through the general public line N. it can. Note that the terminal device R is provided with a display unit 214 such as an LCD, and can be used to display a care record inquiry result and a treatment code input result to the host device H as described later.

The operation of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 for the first embodiment. However, the contents of the request code and the nursing / treatment sheet may be modified to contents specific to such home care. For example, a necessary code such as a month-day code can be added to the request code so that contents such as “want to visit a doctor on a month x day” can be input. Note that a telephone T is connected to each of the host device H and the terminal device R in FIG. 5, so that not only can the host device H automatically answer a call from the terminal device R, but also Needless to say, you can contact in real time by telephone.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration in a case where the terminal device R is permanently installed in the home of a person who needs nursing or care, but the terminal device R can be separated from the communication line.
In addition, it is possible to appropriately form the portable terminal into a dimensional shape that can be carried. In that case, the nurse or caregiver can carry the portable terminal device R around and use it by connecting to a telephone line as needed at the place of visit.

FIG. 6 shows an example of an operation sheet for transferring and inputting the record of home-visit nursing / care from the destination to the host device H. This operation sheet should read the barcode by moving the barcode reader 250 from the upper left, “Start the homecare / care record system”, to the lower right, in accordance with the input procedure of the homecare / care record. It is laid out functionally. The input of the visiting nursing / care record from the terminal device R will be described along the flow of the barcode input of the operation sheet with reference to FIG.

First, as described above, "home-visit nursing
Start the care recording system ". Read the barcode with the barcode reader 250. As a result, the terminal device R connected to the telephone line makes a call to the host device H, and the line to the host device H is connected. Next, although not shown, a “person in charge” code and a “patient” code are read from a code table configured as a separate sheet.

Here, when "Browse for visiting nursing record" is input, the data of the corresponding patient code is extracted from the data recorded in the memory unit 106 of the host device H and downloaded to the terminal device R. You. The person in charge can switch the “previous screen” and “next screen” of the operation sheet as appropriate to check the nursing record of the patient.

Next, the "input of nursing home visit record" code is read, and in this embodiment, the nursing / care items performed for the patient are input using a nursing item code table (not shown) configured as a separate sheet. I do. Items already entered are
By reading each command of “previous screen”, “next screen”, “up”, and “down”, it is possible to confirm on the screen of the display unit. For an erroneous input, a “delete” code can be read and deleted.

When the above input procedure is completed and the confirmation result is correct, the “send to headquarters” code is read, and the input visiting nursing / care record data is transferred to the host device H. The transferred data is recorded in the memory unit 106 of the host device H as in the case of the first embodiment. In order to confirm the data transferred and recorded in the host device H, the “previous screen” and “next screen” codes in the “reception screen” field are read and displayed on the display unit 214. The input mode is ended by reading the "end input of nursing record" code, and if the code "end the recording system" is read,
Disconnect from the phone line and exit.

As described in the first embodiment, the barcode arrangement of the operation sheet is not limited to the direction from the upper edge to the lower edge, but also from the left end to the right end. Other arrangements according to purpose can be employed.

As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a patient who is receiving home care in an area remote from a hospital or medical center where the host device H is installed is also hospitalized or living in the facility. You can get almost the same contact service as a patient who has. In addition, a nurse or a caregiver who visits and cares for such a home patient can access the host device H through the general public line N by the terminal device R, and can refer to a nursing record and input a treatment item at the visiting place. It can be carried out.

[0059]

As described above in detail, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the care support system having the voice response function of the present invention has the following effects.

(1) When the patient operates the host device calling means of the terminal device, the host device is called via the communication line, and an audio signal corresponding to the call from the terminal device is transmitted to the corresponding terminal via the communication line. Since it returns to the device and plays it back through the speaker, it is possible to automatically respond automatically without waiting for the patient who called the host, not only to reduce patient stress and dissatisfaction, but also
There is less need for nurses and caregivers to stay in the custody at all times in order to respond to the patient's call, which leads to a reduction in labor for nurses and the like.

(2) When a patient inputs a code corresponding to a desired item using a bar code reader connected to a terminal device, the host device records the code in storage means together with auxiliary information such as the current time. The voice data corresponding to those demands is generated by the voice data generating means and transmitted to the communication line, and the automatic voice response is immediately made to the request of the patient. It can be confirmed that the information has been transmitted to the nurse or caregiver, and stress and dissatisfaction are further reduced.

(3) When a treatment performed by a nurse or a caregiver is input using a terminal device in a patient's room and a barcode reader, the host device records the code together with auxiliary information such as the current time. The data of the request items from the patients and the treatment items performed by nurses and caregivers recorded in the host devices can be variously processed and displayed or printed, and the work of the nurses and caregivers can be taken over. Labor reduction, such as smoothing, is possible.

(4) If the host device and the terminal device are connected by using a general public line, the terminal device is installed in the home of a person who is at home and is receiving such home care. Also, the services described in the above (1) to (3) can be enjoyed. Also, a person living in an area away from the facility where the host device is located can receive a nursing care service that is almost equivalent to a person entering the facility.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a care support system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a call processing routine of a host device H in the care support system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an output list in the care support system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a barcode sheet for inputting desired items used in the care support system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a care support system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a barcode sheet for home nursing / care record input used in a care support system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

H Host device R Terminal device T Telephone N General public line 100 Control unit 102 DTMF decoder 104 Host control unit 106 Memory unit 108 Voice memory unit (means for generating voice data) 110 D / A converter (Generate voice data) 112 display control unit 114 print control unit 116, 206 interface unit 130 display unit 140 print unit 150, 250 barcode reader 160 input unit 200 terminal unit 202 DTMF encoder 204 terminal control unit 208 call switch (host device Means for calling) 210 Amplifier 212 Speaker 300 Private telephone line 400 Private branch exchange

Claims (4)

[Claims] A host device, a plurality of terminal devices, and a communication line for connecting the terminal devices to the host device, and satisfy the following requirements (1) to (5). Nursing support system with voice response function. (1) Each of the terminal devices includes a barcode reader for reading a barcode and a unit for calling a host device. (2) The host device includes an input unit for inputting an instruction, data, and the like; a storage unit for recording data;
Means for generating audio data. (3) From the terminal device, a signal corresponding to the bar code is sent out to a communication line and input to the host device, and is recorded in storage means together with auxiliary information such as the current time, while corresponding to each signal. Audio data to be generated is generated by the audio data generating means and transmitted to the communication line. (4) The terminal device further includes a speaker connected to the communication line, and the audio data transmitted to the communication line is input to the speaker of the terminal device and reproduced. (5) The host device displays or prints out the data stored in the storage unit based on the input from the input unit. 2. The care support system according to claim 1, wherein the communication line includes a general public line. 3. The care support system according to claim 2, wherein the terminal device further includes a display unit, and is configured to be portable separately from the communication line. 4. A bar code sheet used in the care support system according to claim 1, wherein the bar code sheet comprises:
A barcode sheet which satisfies the requirement of (3). (1) A barcode indicating "work start" is provided at one end of the sheet, and a barcode indicating "work end" is provided at the other end of the sheet. (2) a first group of barcodes including a barcode indicating an instruction to "download home visit nursing records from a host device" between one end side and the other end side of the sheet; A second barcode group including a barcode representing an instruction to "upload to". (3) The first barcode group and the second barcode group each have a barcode for controlling display on the display unit of the terminal device.