JP2008146274A - Patient call system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to reduce costs, eliminate design and construction restrictions, and improve flexibility.
The present invention is a patient call system 1 comprising a fixed communication facility 4 connected to an in-hospital information communication network and a plurality of patient terminals M1 to M4 capable of wireless communication with the fixed communication facility 4. The fixed communication facility 4 includes transmission means for transmitting ID information assigned to each of the patient terminals M1 to M4 to the patient terminals M1 to M4, and the patient terminals M1 to M4 are fixed communication facilities 4 or other patient terminals M1 to M4. ID information receiving means 5 for receiving the ID information received from M4, informing means 6 for informing operation when the ID information received by the ID information receiving means 5 matches the ID information of the patient terminal, and ID information receiving means And ID information transfer means 7 for transferring the ID information to another patient terminal when the ID information received by the terminal 5 does not match the ID information of the patient terminal.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a patient calling system for calling a patient who is waiting for a turn of examination / examination, dispensing / accounting settlement, etc. in a hospital.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a patient call system that calls a patient who is waiting for an order such as medical examination or dispensing in a hospital using a PHS radio wave or a wireless LAN.

In this type of conventional system, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, patient terminals M1, M2, and M3 held by patients waiting for a medical examination at a waiting place are in communication areas (broken lines in the figure). ), Access points AP1, AP2 (or transmitters) are fixedly installed on the ceiling of the waiting room, etc., and each access point AP1, AP2 (or transmitter) is connected to the hospital information communication network by wire. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-204712

  However, in the above-described conventional patient call system, it is necessary to install fixed facilities such as access points AP1 and AP2 together with their power lines and communication lines on the ceiling or the like, so that installation work is troublesome and construction costs are reduced. There was a problem that it was difficult to realize. In addition, it is necessary to develop and manufacture fixed facilities such as the access points AP1 and AP2, and there is a problem that the cost of devices and systems increases.

  Further, when the hospital is expanded or the layout is changed, interior work such as dismantling and restoration of the ceiling is required, and there is a problem that design and construction are restricted in many aspects such as time and cost.

  Furthermore, since the communication area is fixed depending on the installation position of the fixed equipment such as the access points AP1, AP2, etc., it is impossible to communicate with the patient waiting outside the originally assumed place, and there is a problem of lack of flexibility. there were.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a patient call system that enables cost reduction, eliminates design and construction restrictions, and improves flexibility. It is intended.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a patient call system comprising a fixed communication facility connected to a hospital information communication network and a plurality of patient terminals capable of wireless communication with the fixed communication facility, The fixed communication facility includes transmission means for transmitting ID information assigned to each patient terminal to the patient terminal, and the patient terminal receives ID information received from the fixed communication facility or another patient terminal. An information receiving means; an informing means for performing an operation when the ID information received by the ID information receiving means matches the ID information of the patient terminal; and the ID information received by the ID information receiving means is the ID of the patient terminal. An ID information transfer means is provided for transferring the ID information to another patient terminal when the information does not match.

  When the ID information received by the ID information receiving means matches the ID information of the patient terminal, the patient terminal returns a notification to that effect and the ID information of the patient terminal as incoming information. Further comprising an incoming information return means capable of stopping the transmission operation after the return of the incoming information, and the incoming information returned by the incoming information return means is received by the ID information receiving means of the fixed communication facility or the patient terminal, and the patient terminal When the ID information receiving means receives the incoming call information, the ID information transfer means may transfer the incoming call information to another patient terminal.

  Further, the ID information transfer means may not transfer the ID information when the ID information received from the fixed communication facility or another patient terminal is the same as the ID information received before that.

  Furthermore, the ID information transfer means does not need to transfer the ID information when carrier sense is performed and the transmission impossible state continues for a predetermined time.

  Furthermore, the ID information transfer means may not receive the ID information as long as the ID information transfer means performs carrier sense and the transmission impossible state continues for a predetermined time and the ID information is not transferred.

  According to the present invention, installation costs can be reduced, design and construction restrictions are eliminated, and flexibility can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a patient call system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a patient terminal in the patient call system. In addition, in the following description, the case where the patient is waiting for the examination order at the waiting place in the hospital will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a patient call system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an in-hospital server 2 that comprehensively manages various information in a hospital, an in-hospital server 2 and an in-hospital information communication network. Each access point (AP) 4 connected to each department counter PC, and connected to each department window PC 3 via USB and installed on the ceiling of the waiting room, etc., and this access point (AP ) 4 and four (4 in FIG. 1) patient terminals M1, M2, M3, and M4 capable of wireless communication. In the present application, the fixed communication equipment includes the in-hospital server 2, each department window PC 3, and an access point (AP) 4.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the patient terminals M1, M2, M3, and M4 receive the ID information assigned to each patient terminal M1, M2, M3, and M4 from the in-hospital server 2 via each department window PC3. The ID information receiving unit 5 to receive, the notification unit 6 that performs a notification operation when the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit 5 matches the ID information of the patient terminal, and the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit 5 are The ID information transfer unit 7 that transfers the ID information to another patient terminal when the ID information does not match the ID information of the patient terminal, and the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit 5 matches the ID information of the patient terminal In this case, it is configured to include an incoming call information return unit 8 for returning the notification and the ID information of the patient terminal as incoming call information.

  Next, the operation of the patient call system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Here, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the patient call system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the operation of the patient call system.

  In the state where the patient holding the patient terminals M1, M2, M3 and M4 handed over at the general reception in the hospital is waiting for a call in the waiting area S of the department, the hospital server 2 sends each department window When the ID information of the patient terminal is transmitted to the access point (AP) 4 in order of the patients who have completed the reception procedure through the PC 3, the patient terminal M1 in the communication area R of the access point (AP) 4 is sent to the patient terminal M1. On the other hand, the ID information is transmitted by wireless communication (S101).

  In the patient terminal M1, the ID information receiving unit 5 receives the ID information (S102), and it is determined whether the ID information matches the ID information of the patient terminal M1 (S103). As a result, when it is considered that they coincide with each other, a notification operation is performed in the notification unit 6 of the patient terminal M1 (S104), and it is recognized by the patient holding this patient terminal M1 that it is the order of medical care. At this time, when a confirmation button (not shown) of the patient terminal M1 is pressed by the patient, the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit 5 is received by the ID information receiving unit 5 by the incoming information return unit 8 of the patient terminal M1. And the ID information of its own are returned to the access point (AP) 4 as incoming information (S105), and the transmission operation in the patient terminal M1 is stopped after the incoming information is returned. At this time, the transmission operation may not be stopped in consideration of a case where a message is desired to be transmitted after the confirmation button is pressed by the patient. Next, the incoming information returned to the access point (AP) 4 by the incoming information return unit 8 is transmitted to the in-hospital server 2 via each department window PC 3 to confirm that the patient has been called successfully. .

  On the other hand, when the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit 5 of the patient terminal M1 in step 103 is considered not to match the ID information of the patient terminal M1, the ID information transfer unit 7 of the patient terminal M1. Thus, the ID information is transferred by wireless communication to the patient terminal M2 in the communication area PM1 of the patient terminal M1 (S106).

  In the patient terminal M2, the ID information is received by the ID information receiving unit 5, and it is determined whether or not the ID information matches the ID information of the patient terminal M2, as in the operation of the patient terminal M1 described above. (S107). As a result, when it is considered that they coincide with each other, a notification operation is performed in the notification unit 6 of the patient terminal M2 (S108), and it is recognized by the patient holding this patient terminal M2 that it is the order of medical treatment, and the patient The incoming information return unit 8 of the terminal M2 returns the notification that the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit 5 matches the own ID information and the own ID information as incoming information to the patient terminal M1 (S109). Further, the incoming information is returned to the access point (AP) 4 by the incoming information return unit 8 of the patient terminal M1, and the transmission operation in the patient terminal M2 is stopped after the incoming information is returned. The incoming information returned to the access point (AP) 4 by the incoming information return unit 8 is transmitted to the in-hospital server 2 via each department window PC 3 to confirm that the patient has been called successfully. .

  Thereafter, in the same procedure, the ID information is received by the ID information sections 5 of the corresponding patient terminals M3 and M4, and the incoming information is returned by the incoming information return sections 8 of all the patient terminals held by the patients who have completed reception. Until the call is transmitted to the in-hospital server 2.

  As described above, according to the patient calling system 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the installation of the fixed equipment such as the access point (AP) 4 and its power supply line and communication line on the ceiling or the like can be minimized. Equipment and wiring installation work is simplified, and construction costs can be reduced and equipment purchase costs can be reduced.

  Furthermore, even if the hospital is expanded or the layout is changed, the range of dismantling and restoration of the interior such as the ceiling can be minimized, so that the system can be easily and smoothly introduced into the existing hospital. Become.

  Furthermore, since the communication area is expanded as the patient moves, it is possible to improve flexibility and prevent communication interruption and to provide a highly reliable system. become.

  In addition, the patient before calling concentrates in the vicinity of the clinic and each department reception, and as a result, the density of the patient terminal becomes high, resulting in an overcrowded communication environment, which may lead to deterioration of the communication status. Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, for example, when the ID information received by the ID information transfer unit 7 of the patient terminal is the same as the ID information received earlier than that, the function that does not transfer the ID information is selected. In addition, the ID information transfer unit 7 performs carrier sense, and when the transmission disabled state continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds), the ID information is not transferred. Furthermore, the ID information transfer unit 7 performs carrier sense, and is configured so that the ID information receiving unit 5 does not receive the ID information while the transmission disabled state continues for a predetermined time and the ID information is not transferred. In addition, the output of the patient terminal may be set as low as about 1 mW in advance.

  In the above-described embodiment, assuming that there is a patient waiting for a call at a place temporarily out of the communication area, the call operation is performed every predetermined time (for example, 15 minutes). You may comprise. Furthermore, in order to secure a wide communication area even in situations where there are few patients, the access point (AP) is preliminarily added, or the density of patient terminals becomes low, such as away from each department reception A patient terminal may be fixedly installed in advance on a wall or the like of an assumed place to prevent communication interruption.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the patient is waiting for the examination order at the waiting place in the hospital has been described. However, this is merely an example, and the present invention waits for the accounting or dispensing order. Needless to say, it can also be used in other cases, such as in the case of the

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the patient calling system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the patient terminal in the patient calling system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the effect | action of the patient call system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the effect | action of the patient call system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Patient call system 2 Hospital server 3 Each department window PC
4 access points (AP)
5 ID information receiving unit 6 Notifying unit 7 ID information transferring unit 8 Incoming information returning unit M1 to M4 Patient terminal

Claims (5)

A patient call system comprising a fixed communication facility connected to a hospital information communication network and a plurality of patient terminals capable of wireless communication with the fixed communication facility,
The fixed communication facility includes transmission means for transmitting ID information assigned to each patient terminal to the patient terminal,
The patient terminal includes an ID information receiving unit that receives ID information received from the fixed communication facility or another patient terminal, and the ID information received by the ID information receiving unit matches the ID information of the patient terminal. Informing means for informing operation, and ID information transferring means for transferring the ID information to another patient terminal when the ID information received by the ID information receiving means does not match the ID information of the patient terminal. A patient call system characterized by being.   When the ID information received by the ID information receiving means matches the ID information of the patient terminal, the patient terminal returns a notification to that effect and the ID information of the patient terminal as incoming information, and returns the incoming information. An incoming information return means capable of stopping the transmission operation later is further provided. The incoming information returned by the incoming information return means is received by the ID information receiving means of the fixed communication facility or the patient terminal, and the ID of the patient terminal. The patient call system according to claim 1, wherein when the information receiving means receives the incoming information, the ID information transfer means transfers the incoming information to another patient terminal.   The ID information transfer means does not transfer the ID information when the ID information received from the fixed communication facility or another patient terminal is the same as the ID information received earlier. Patient call system.   The patient call system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ID information transfer unit performs carrier sense and does not transfer the ID information when a transmission impossible state continues for a predetermined time.   5. The patient call according to claim 4, wherein the ID information transfer unit performs carrier sense, the transmission disabled state continues for a predetermined time, and the information reception unit does not receive the ID information while the ID information is not transferred. system.

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