CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Indian Patent Application No. 202141061825 filed December 30, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to a computer implemented method for operating an orchestration system configured to orchestrate a plurality of individual care plans for remotely located patients. Furthermore, the corresponding orchestration system is provided, a computer program comprising program code and a carrier comprising the computer program.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Patients discharged from hospitals often need monitoring at regular intervals. Depending on their illness, they need to be monitored for various medical and wellness conditions. However, it is neither convenient for the patient to visit the hospital for the checks nor is it desired by hospitals and insurance providers.

[0004] A care pathway is one of the main tools used to manage the quality in healthcare concerning the standardization of care processes. It is known that their implementation reduces the variability in clinical practice and improves outcomes. Furthermore, demographic changes are leading to an aging population, at least in the western countries. Elderly patients, such as 65 years or older are frequently affected by multiple chronic diseases. Furthermore, insufficiently coordinated treatments can cause undesired side effects. The integrated care is widely acknowledged to be a promising approach, but in practice, adequate generic tool support for the integrated care is missing. Care pathways are typically driven by healthcare providers, whereas care plans are specific plans driven by patients as self-help tools with an intervention by the healthcare providers. [0005] Accordingly, a need exists to provide a generic tool that allows for administering integrated care plans for managing multiple diseases without the need that the corresponding patient actually visits the doctor so that remotely located patients can be treated correctly.

SUMMARY

[0006] This need is met by the features of the independent claims. Further aspects are described in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a computer implemented method for operating an orchestration system is provided which is configured to orchestrate a plurality of individual care plans for a plurality of remote located patients. The method comprises the steps carried out at the orchestration system of determining a first individual care plan from the plurality of individual care plans for a first patient having a first disease. Furthermore, a second individual care plan is determined from the plurality of individual care plans for a second patient having a second disease different from the first disease. Each of the first and second individual care plans comprise information how the corresponding patient should treat his or her disease. The first individual care plan is then provided to the remotely located first patient and the second individual care plan is provided to the remotely located second patient. Furthermore, the orchestration system receives a first response to the provided care plan from the first patient and a second response from the second patient. The first response is stored in a patient specific data set provided for the first patient and the second response is stored in the patient specific data set provided for the second patient.

[0008] Furthermore, the corresponding orchestration system configured to orchestrate the individual care plans is provided wherein the orchestration system comprises at least one processing unit and a memory comprising instructions, that when carried out by the at least one processing unit cause the orchestration system to carry out a method as mentioned above or as discussed in further detail below.

[0009] Furthermore, a computer program comprising program code to be executed by at least one processing unit of the orchestration system is provided, wherein execution of the program code causes the at least one processing unit to carry out a method as mentioned above or as discussed in further detail below.

[0010] In addition, a carrier comprising the computer program is provided, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, optical signal, radio signal, and computer readable storage medium. The orchestration system and the method provide a flexible design with one structure to define multitude of care plans for any medical condition.

[0011] It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and features yet to be explained below can be used not only in the respective combinations indicated, but also in other combinations or in isolation without departing from the scope of the present invention. Features of the above-mentioned aspects and embodiments described below may be combined with each other in other embodiments, unless explicitly mentioned otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The foregoing and additional features and effects of the application will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a schematic architectural view of the orchestration system and the interaction with a remote patient using a mobile entity.

[0014] Fig. 2 shows a message exchange of the involved entities during an operation of the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0015] Fig. 3 shows an example implementation of a screen provided by the orchestration system.

[0016] Fig. 4 shows another example implementation of a screen provided by the orchestration system. [0017] Fig. 5 shows a further example implementation of a screen provided by the orchestration system.

[0018] Fig. 6 shows another example implementation of a screen provided by the orchestration system.

[0019] Fig. 7 shows another example implementation a screen provided by the orchestration system.

[0020] Fig. 8 shows another example implementation of a screen provided by the orchestration system.

[0021] Fig. 9 shows another example implementation of a screen provided by the orchestration system.

[0022] Figs. 10a to 10c show another example implementation of a screen provided by the system.

[0023] Fig. 11 shows an example flowchart comprising the steps carried out by the orchestration system for providing guidance to different patients.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In the following, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the following description of embodiments is not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is not intended to be limited by the embodiments described hereinafter or by the drawings, which are to be illustrative only.

[0025] The drawings are to be regarded as being schematic representations, and elements illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily shown to scale. Rather, the various elements are represented such that their function and general purpose becomes apparent to a person skilled in the art. Any connection or coupling between functional blocks, devices, components of physical or functional units shown in the drawings and described hereinafter may be implemented as an indirect connection or coupling. A coupling between components may be established over a wired or wireless connection. Functional blocks may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0026] Fig. 1 shows an architectural overview in which an orchestration system 100 allows for an administration of integrated care plans for managing multiple diseases focused on vital measurements, medication administration, physiopsychological understanding while driving intervention through alerts to a patient. The orchestration system 100 is connected via a network 50 to a mobile entity 200. The network 50 can be a wired network such as a local area network, LAN, or wide area network such as the Internet. Furthermore, the network 50 can be a mobile communications network to which the mobile entity 200 is connected. The mobile entity or user equipment, UE, 200 may refer to a device for instant use by a person called the patient for his or her personal communication, it might be a telephone type of device, a cellular telephone, a mobile station or a personal digital assistance type of device like laptop, notebook, notepad, tablet, all of them being equipped with a wireless data connection. The entity 200 can furthermore include a smartwatch or any other entity which is able to directly measure physiological parameters of the person wearing the corresponding device. The entity 200 can further be implemented as desktop computer connected to the internet or to a mobile communications network.

[0027] The orchestration entity 100 comprises an interface 110 which is provided for transmitting data or control messages to other entities such as the mobile entity 200 and is provided for receiving user data or control messages from other entities. The interface 110 can be configured to transmit an individual care plan to the mobile entity 200 and can be configured to receive the feedback from the patients. The orchestration entity 100 furthermore comprises a processing unit 120 which is responsible for the operation of the orchestration system 100. The processing unit 120 can comprise one or more processors and can carry out instructions stored on a memory 130, wherein the memory may include a read-only memory, a random access memory, a mass storage, a hard disk, or the like. The memory can furthermore include a suitable program code to be executed by the processing unit 120 so as to implement the above or below described functionalities in which the orchestration entity is involved.

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a possible implementation in which the orchestration system is used. The user of the orchestration system 100 can be a physician or any other medically trained staff member. When a patient has left a hospital or underwent another examination, the user can in step S 11 of Fig. 2 first of all determine an individual care plan for the patient 10. Fig. 3 to 10 show different snapshots of the software implemented in the orchestration system so that the user of the system 100 is informed of the medical status of the patient 10 and can individually adapt the care plan to the situation of the patient. Referring again to Fig. 2 the individual care plan is transmitted to the mobile entity 200 in step S12 over network 50. The mobile entity 200 stores the individual care plan in step S13 and the care plan may be started as a software tool such as an application running on the entity 200. The care plan can comprise instructions such as steps to be carried out by the patient at a defined time of the day. If a certain step has to be carried out by the patient, the corresponding instruction may be displayed to the user in step S14. The instruction can include the instructions to measure physiological parameters such the blood pressure at a certain time, to take a certain medicament etc. or to respond to certain questions. In step S15 the patient 10 can input the required information, or if the entity 200 is able to directly measure the required parameter such as the blood pressure, step S15 may be carried out without the active support of the patient 10 and the system itself may directly determine the information or response to the displayed instruction. Accordingly in step S 16 the response as input by the patient or as determined by entity 200 is determined and transmitted in step S17 to the orchestration system 100. The orchestration system then stores the response in a patient specific data set. The response may be displayed on a display 140 of the system 100 or the user can be informed in any other way of the response if needed. In an optional step S19 the system can also evaluate the response in order to check whether the response is satisfactory for the present situation. The evaluation may comprise the steps such as whether the measured physiological parameter is within a certain parameter range or whether any other feedback provided by the patient in the response needs additional care by the user of the system. In addition, an optional step S20 feedback may be provided to the patient. The feedback may include information such as what to do in dependence on the received response received in step S17. [0029] Fig. 3 shows an example of the program in which the user can add a new care plan where the physician can define the plan, here a plan for a pregnant patient having diabetes. The section shown in Fig. 3 allows the care plan provider or physicians to define the care pathway summary and other physicians may view and choose the same plan for the own patients. In connection with Fig. 4 it can be seen that when the user generates the care plan, the user can determine which parameters should be determined by the patient and when the determined physiological parameters should be determined by the patient. In the example shown the care plan indicates that the blood pressure should be measured daily in different period of times. Furthermore, other parameters such as the blood glucose parameter should be determined twice a day. Furthermore, as can be seen from the drop-down menu the user can add further parameters if needed that should be monitored. This part shows that the care plan allows the specification of vitals, the frequency of the determination and a possible schedule. Accordingly, the care plan provides the ability to specify the vitals including the frequency and the timing.

[0030] Fig. 5 indicates the tool where the remotely located patient has to answer a questionnaire. This questionnaire can be used by the user to determine more psychological aspects in addition to the other physiological parameters in order to obtain a deeper inside into the patient's condition. The questions the patient has to answer and which were selected by the user could include questions such as whether the patient had a good sleep, or how the mood is. The patient can type in the answer in a field provided for the answer as shown in Fig. 5.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6 the user can set alerts, either for a specific reading or for an average reading over the last few days. Accordingly, the user can specify when the system should provide an alert to the user, physician, and if the input given by the patient includes values outside the predefined range, the system can provide an alert, a visible or audible alert to the user of the system.

[0032] Fig. 7 shows schematically a to-do list for the user of the system which shows the name of the patients and the existing alerts. Furthermore, it is possible to determine which patients should be displayed, the patient of a certain physician or all patients. [0033] Fig. 8 schematically shows an overview for a patient over the different vitals such as the blood pressure, the pulse rate etc. the system provides an overview over the different physiological parameters as provided by the patient. Accordingly, the system can provide a summary of the parameters to be checked by the user of the system

[0034] Fig. 9 shows a summary of the activity by the patient per time unit such as one day, e.g. the distance the patient made when walking, the number of floors climbed or the number of steps and information such as the number of burned calories.

[0035] Fig. 10a to 10c show a summary of the evolution of the different physiological parameters as input by the patient. This evolution can show different trends or provides a good overview how the disease or the patient itself evolved over time.

[0036] As shown in the figures above the orchestration system and the corresponding program running on the system 100 provides a flexible design including a structure in which a multitude of care plans can be generated for any medical condition and the patient outcome can be derived. The design is such that within the same structure, one can define a care plan for diabetes, pregnancy, stroke etc. This design not only allows a simple scheme to administer a care plan but also makes it possible for the user/physician to directly influence the care plan for each patient.

[0037] Fig. 11 summarizes some of the steps carried out at the orchestration system discussed above. In a first step Si l l the user of the system can determine a first care plan for a first patient in which it is possible to individually indicate what should be done by the corresponding patient. The same way a different care plan is determined for the second patient having a different disease. Accordingly in step SI 12 the individual care plan is determined for the second patient. In step S 113 the first care plan is provided to the first patient and in step S 114 the second care plan is provided to the second patient. The Plan can be provided to the first patient for which this plan has been designed. The providing can mean that an application is running on the mobile entity 200 and if the care plan indicates that something has to be done, the corresponding task is indicated to the user. Accordingly, the patient may not see the complete plan, the patient may simply see the required action to be taken by the patient at a certain point in time. Accordingly in step S 113 the care plan is provided to the first patient, in step S14 the corresponding care plan is provided to the second patient. In step SI 15 the system receives the first response from the first patient and in step S16 the system receives the corresponding response from the second patient. Both responses are then stored in step S17 and SI 18 in the corresponding data set which is provided for each of the patients.

[0038] From the above said some general conclusions can be drawn: The first response received from the first patient may be evaluated in order to determine whether additional feedback to the first patient is required. In the same way is possible to evaluate the second response received from a second patient in order to determine whether additional feedback to the second patient is necessary.

[0039] The individual care plans can comprise different pieces of information or instructions such as a patient specific instruction to monitor at least one physiological parameter such as the blood pressure etc. The care plan can furthermore include a patient specific timetable how a drug should be used at the corresponding patient. Furthermore, the care plan could include a questionnaire to be filled in by the corresponding patient in which the patient has to answer predefined questions.

[0040] The patient specific instruction can comprise the information which at least one physiological parameter should be monitored, can contain the information how often the at least one physiological parameter should be monitored or a time when the at least one physiological parameter should be monitored. The patient specific instruction can also include a defined parameter range within which a value of the at least one physiological parameter should be located. Furthermore, the patient specific instruction can include a measure what to do when a determined value of the at least one physiological parameter is outside a defined parameter range.

[0041] When the received response is evaluated at the orchestration system, a physician using the orchestration system may be informed when the response from the corresponding patient is at least partly missing or the response comprises content that triggers an alarm to the physician using the orchestration system. [0042] The content that may trigger an alarm can contain information such as a monitored physiological parameter being outside a defined parameter value range. Furthermore, it can include information that the drug is not used by the patient as required or as indicated. Furthermore, an answered questionnaire could be such that feedback by the physician using the orchestration system becomes necessary.

[0043] The individual care plans could be provided to the corresponding patient via a first network and the response may be received while the same network such as a mobile communications network or the internet. It is also possible that the information from the patient is received via a different network, e.g., the care plan is sent via a wired network such as the internet and the answer from the patient is received via a mobile communications network.

[0044] Each individual care plan may be configured by the physician using the orchestration system and may also be provided to other physicians using the same system if needed.

[0045] The patient specific data set can be used to store the responses received from the patient over time so that it is possible to generate a statistic evaluation on the received responses. This helps to determine inter alia how the responses have evolved or changed over time.

[0046] Summarizing, the present disclosure provides, among other things, an effective way to remotely monitor patients and to obtain the required information that is needed monitor the health state of the corresponding patient and how this state evolves over time.

[0047] It is recognized that the processing unit as disclosed herein may include various microprocessors, integrated circuits or other suitable variants thereof, and software which co-act with one another to perform operation(s) disclosed herein. In addition, the processing unit as disclosed utilizes one or more microprocessors to execute a computer-program that is embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed to perform any number of the functions as disclosed. Further, a housing is provided for storing the processing unit including one or more of the various number of microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory devices ((e.g., FLASH, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)). The processing unit as disclosed also include hardware-based inputs and outputs for receiving and transmitting data, respectively from and to other hardware-based devices as discussed herein.

[0048] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of subject matter disclosed herein. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments.