JP7710504B2 - Support program, support device, storage medium, and support method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a support program, a support device, a storage medium, and a support method.

Conventionally, there is known technology that supports the health management of a patient by recording the patient's information. Patent Document 1 describes a lifestyle information system that enables a user to recognize the causal relationship between lifestyle habits and physical condition and obtains objective, post-mortem verifiable analysis results. Patent Document 2 describes a system that automatically collects a patient's excretion information and manages the patient's health.

JP 2022-014425 A International Publication No. 2021/149319

However, the techniques described in the prior art documents may not be able to adequately support the health management of patients. Specifically, for patients with certain diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)), the prior art techniques are unable to adequately support the health management of patients.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention aims to support the health management of patients.

An assistance program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a storage means for storing event history information relating to a history of events including a first event relating to the intake of nutrients by at least one of a user's meals and medication, and at least a second event relating to the user's tenesmus; and a display means for displaying assistance information for assisting the user in diagnosis, the assistance information being generated based on the event history information.

An assistance device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores event history information regarding a history of events including a first event related to the intake of nutrients by at least one of a user's meals and medication, and a second event related to at least the user's stomachache, and a display unit that displays assistance information for assisting the user in diagnosis, the assistance information being generated based on the event history information.

An assistance method according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the steps of: storing event history information regarding a history of events including a first event related to the intake of nutrients by at least one of a user's meals and medication, and at least a second event related to the user's tenesmus; and displaying assistance information for assisting the user in a diagnosis, the assistance information being generated based on the event history information.

The present invention can assist in managing patients' health.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the support device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the support device according to the present embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment. 13 is an example of a display screen of the support device according to the present embodiment.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in each drawing, parts with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

In this invention, "part", "means", "device", and "system" do not simply mean physical means, but also include cases where the functions of the "part", "means", "device", and "system" are realized by software. Furthermore, the functions of one "part", "means", "device", or "system" may be realized by two or more physical means, devices, or software, and the functions of two or more "parts", "means", "device", or "system" may be realized by one physical means, device, or software.

1. System configuration according to this embodiment
The configuration of a system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system according to this embodiment includes a support device 1, a server device 2, and a communication network 3.

-Support device 1-
The support device 1 is typically a device that can use a support program for supporting the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The support device 1 is typically used by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (including adult patients, pediatric patients, and close relatives such as the patient's relatives). The patient can check the display screen of the support device 1 and use it to understand the patient's own condition. In addition, the display screen of the support device 1 is presented to the doctor who treats the patient, and the doctor can determine or change the treatment policy by looking at it. In other words, the support device 1 can be said to support the patient's own motivation for treatment by allowing the user to objectively view the user's condition, and to support the doctor who treats the patient. The support device 1 is an electronic device having a display function, such as a smartphone, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, and a smart watch. In this embodiment, the support device 1 is a smartphone, and the support program is application software that is installed in the support device 1 and used. In this embodiment, a patient with inflammatory bowel disease who uses the support device 1 is referred to as a "user". The support device 1 is equipped with a touch panel, and the user can operate the support device 1 by touching the touch panel.

The support device 1 supports the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease by displaying information on nutritional intake and information on the occurrence of tenesmus. As will be described in detail later, the occurrence of tenesmus is closely related to inflammation in the intestines, and by observing the occurrence of tenesmus (as well as the characteristics of stool and the occurrence of constipation), doctors can more efficiently determine, change, or treat the treatment policy for inflammatory bowel disease.

In this embodiment, "treatment" includes not only curing the disease, but also bringing the disease into remission (also called induction of remission) and maintaining the remission state.

The support device 1 includes a control unit 10, a memory unit 14, and a network interface unit 18, each of which is electrically connected via a bus 16.

The control unit 10 executes various programs stored in the memory unit 14, thereby functioning as an input receiving means 100, a storage means 102, a generating means 104, a display means 106, a selection receiving means 108, a comparison means 110, an input means 112, and an output means 114.

[Input Receiving Means 100]
The input receiving means 100 receives input of information related to events including a first event related to the intake of nutrients by the user through at least one of meals and medication, and a second event related to at least one of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation.

Information regarding nutrient intake through meals includes, for example, information regarding the meal menu, ingredients contained in the meal, meal items, amount of calories ingested through a meal, amount of nutrients ingested through a meal (e.g., protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, etc.), time the meal was eaten, place where the meal was eaten, time it took to eat the meal, and beverages consumed with the meal.

The information regarding the intake of nutrients by taking medication includes, for example, information regarding the name, ingredients, distributor, and effects of the medication taken, the amount of calories taken by taking the medication, the amount of nutrients taken by taking the medication, the time of taking the medication, and the place where the medication was taken. Taking medication also includes the intake of nutrients such as enteral nutrients and elemental nutrients (for example, but not limited to, Elental (registered trademark), Ensure (registered trademark), Racol (registered trademark), and Inolas (registered trademark)). In this embodiment, taking medication is described as the intake of nutrients. Therefore, it includes those that supplement nutrition such as supplements, but may be included in meals as appropriate.

The information on tenesmus includes, for example, information on the time tenesmus occurred and the severity of the tenesmus symptoms. Tenesmus is also called tenesmus, and a person skilled in the art can appropriately understand its definition. In this specification, it refers to a symptom of not having a bowel movement despite having a defecation urge, a symptom of having a defecation urge and having a defecation but with a small amount of stool regardless of the shape of the stool (hard stool, normal stool, soft stool), and a symptom of having a defecation urge and having a defecation but with a feeling of residual evacuation. Tenesmus may also occur in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and infectious enteritis, and recording the frequency and severity of occurrence will help doctors make decisions regarding remission, recurrence, or treatment of the disease.

The information about abdominal pain includes, for example, information about the time when abdominal pain occurred and the severity of abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is one of the main symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, and recording the frequency and severity of abdominal pain can help doctors determine whether the disease is in remission or relapse.

The information regarding bowel movements includes, for example, information regarding the time of bowel movements, the amount of stool, the shape of stool, the color of stool, and the presence or absence of blood in the stool. The shape of the stool may be expressed by the Bristol Stool Shape Scale. In the present invention, bloody stool is a general term for one or more symptoms of fresh blood in stool, dark red stool, mucous blood in stool, black stool, and occult blood in stool. Recording such bowel movement information will assist a doctor in making decisions regarding remission, recurrence, or treatment of a disease.

An example of a display screen when the input receiving means 100 receives input of information about the first event (i.e., meals and taking medicine) will be described later with reference to Figs. 5 to 8. Also, an example of a display screen when the input receiving means 100 receives input of information about the second event (i.e., defecation, abdominal pain, and tenesmus) will be described later with reference to Figs. 9 to 11.

[Storage means 102]
The storage unit 102 stores, as event history information, information relating to the event accepted by the input acceptance unit 100. The event history information is stored in the event history information DB 140 of the storage unit 14.

In addition, in this embodiment, the event history information includes information that associates the time when an event occurred with information on whether the event was a meal, taking medicine, defecation, abdominal pain, or tenesmus.

[Generating means 104]
The generating means 104 generates support information for supporting the user in understanding a situation based on the event history information. The support information is typically information that supports the user in objectively viewing his/her own situation, or information that supports a doctor in diagnosing the user's inflammatory bowel disease, determining or changing a treatment plan, or performing treatment. The support information includes information that represents the event history information as, for example, a table, a bar graph (including a stacked bar graph), a pie chart, a line graph, a histogram, a radar chart, a timeline, a scatter plot, a bubble chart, a box plot, a diagram, and a heat map. The generating means 104 may change or regenerate the support information based on a user's operation.

[Display means 106]
The display means 106 displays the support information generated by the generation means 104. An example of a display screen for support information will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[Selection Receiving Means 108]
The selection receiving means 108 receives a selection for displaying information on at least a part of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation. That is, by operating the selection receiving means 108, the user can apply a filter to the support information displayed by the display means 106 and selectively display desired information. An example of a display screen when the selection receiving means 108 receives a selection will be described later with reference to FIG. 14.

[Comparison means 110]
The comparison means 110 compares reference information, which is calculated based on at least a portion of the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, and amount of physical activity and is a standard for the amount of nutrients that the user should ingest per unit period, with intake information, which is the amount of nutrients the user ingested in the unit period through the first event.

The support information displayed by the display means 106 may also include the comparison results by the comparison means 110. An example of a display screen for support information including the comparison results will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

[Input Means 112]
The input means 112 operates devices connected to the data I/F 306, the communication I/F 308, and the input I/F 304, which will be described later, to accept input of various information to the support device 1. The input means 112 accepts input of, for example, operation information, video information, image information, text information, audio information, and position information from the user. The input means 112 may accept input of at least a part of the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, and amount of physical activity.

[Output Means 114]
The output unit 114 operates devices connected to a data I/F 306 and a communication I/F 308, which will be described later, and a display device 310, to output various information from the support device 1. The output unit 114 outputs, for example, video information, image information, text information, and audio information.

-Server device 2-
The server device 2 is a device having a function that enables the assistance program to be used by the assistance device 1. In this embodiment, the server device 2 is a device that transmits software (i.e., an installer) for installing the assistance program to the assistance device 1.

-Communication Network 3-
The communication network 3 is a network configured to enable communication between the support device 1 and the server device 2. Communication via the communication network 3 may be realized by any suitable protocol.

2. Hardware configuration of the support device 1
2, an example of a hardware configuration in which the above-described support device 1 is realized by a computer 400 will be described. Note that the functions of each device can also be realized by dividing them into a plurality of devices.

As shown in FIG. 2, the computer 400 includes a processor 300, a storage device 302, an input I/F 304, a data I/F 306, a communication I/F 308, and a display device 310.

The processor 300 controls various processes in the computer 400 by executing programs stored in the storage device 302. For example, each functional unit of the control unit 10 of the support device 1 can be realized by the processor 300 executing a program stored in the storage device 302.

The storage device 302 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The RAM temporarily stores the program code of the program executed by the processor 300 and data required when the program is executed.

The storage device 302 may also be a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The storage device 302 stores an operating system and various programs for implementing the above-mentioned configurations. The storage medium storing the various programs may be a non-transitory computer readable medium. In addition, the storage device 302 may store a table for registering various information such as business information, and a DB for managing the table. Such programs and data are loaded into the storage device 302 as necessary and referenced by the processor 300.

The input I/F 304 is a device for receiving input from a user. Specific examples of the input I/F 304 include a camera, a button, a microphone, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, various sensors, and a wearable device. The input I/F 304 may be connected to the computer 400 via an interface such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

The data I/F 306 is a device for inputting data from outside the computer 400. A specific example of the data I/F 306 is a drive device for reading data stored in various storage media. The data I/F 306 may be provided outside the computer 400. In that case, the data I/F 306 is connected to the computer 400 via an interface such as a USB.

The communication I/F 308 is a device for performing data communication via the communication network 3, either wired or wirelessly, with devices external to the computer 400. The communication I/F 308 may be provided external to the computer 400. In that case, the communication I/F 308 is connected to the computer 400 via an interface such as a USB.

The display device 310 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 310 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and a display of a wearable device. The display device 310 may be provided outside the computer 400. In that case, the display device 310 is connected to the computer 400 via, for example, a display cable. Furthermore, when a touch panel is used as the input I/F 304, the display device 310 can be configured as an integral part of the input I/F 304.

The components of the support device 1 described in the above embodiment are assumed to be implemented in cooperation with other hardware by the processor 300 executing a program stored in the memory device 302. In other words, these components are assumed to be software or firmware, and also corresponding hardware, and in both concepts, they are also described as "functions," "means," "parts," "processing circuits," "units," or "modules," and can be interpreted as each of these.

3. Operation and display screen of the support device 1
An example of the operation of the support device 1 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3, and an example of the display screen in each step will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 14. The display screens include a home screen, a meal record screen, a nutritional supplement record screen, an abdominal pain record screen, a bowel movement record screen, a tenesmus record screen, and a review screen, and the user can transition the display screen to each screen by operating the support device 1.

[Home screen (Figure 4)]
First, the support device 1 displays a home screen (S2). Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the home screen that is the display screen in S2. The home screen includes a greeting message 20, a date 22, a timeline display area 24, a scroll bar 32, a meal record button 34, a nutritional supplement record button 36, a bowel movement record button 38, an abdominal pain record button 40, a tenesmus record button 41, a home button 42, a look back button 44, and other buttons 46.

The greeting message 20 is a message to the user who has started the support device 1. The date 22 is, for example, the current date on which the user is inputting or editing data on the support device 1. The user can also select another date as the date to be input or edited by pressing the date 22.

The timeline display area 24 is an area that displays support information in the form of a timeline. The support information displayed in the timeline display area 24 includes event history information that is associated with the time at which an event occurred and information on whether the event was a meal, taking medicine, defecation, abdominal pain, or tenesmus, and that is arranged in the order in which the events occurred.

The timeline display area 24 in this embodiment includes history 24a, history 24b, history 24c, and history 24d, but the number of histories is not particularly limited, and may exist before history 24a or after history 24d. History 24a is associated with "10:25", the time when the event occurred, and information that the event is defecation. History 24b is associated with "12:25", the time when the event occurred, and information that the event is taking a nutritional supplement. History 24c is associated with "12:25", the time when the event occurred, and information that the event is a meal of curry rice and salad. History 24d is associated with "14:50", the time when the event occurred, and information that the event is having a tense stomach. By pressing history 24a-24d, the user may be able to check the details of the history and edit (update) and delete the information related to the history (not shown).

The scroll bar 32 is an element that allows the user to change the period of event history information displayed in the timeline display area 24 by operating it. The user can display the history of events that occurred before "10:25" by, for example, moving (swiping or scrolling) the timeline display area 24 or the scroll bar 32 toward the top of the screen. Alternatively, the user can display the history of events that occurred after "14:50" by, for example, moving the timeline display area 24 or the scroll bar 32 toward the bottom of the screen. Furthermore, the scroll bar 32 does not need to be displayed at all times on the home screen, and can be displayed appropriately in response to the user's operation of moving (swiping or scrolling) the timeline display area 24.

The meal record button 34, nutritional supplement record button 36, bowel movement record button 38, abdominal pain record button 40, and tenesmus record button 41 are buttons that can transition the display screen to an event input screen that corresponds to each button.

The home button 42 is a button for transitioning the display screen to the home screen. Note that when the home button 42 is pressed on the home screen, the display screen does not have to transition.

The look back button 44 is a button for transitioning the display screen to a look back screen. An example of the destination display screen will be described later.

The Other button 46 is a button for transitioning the display screen to a screen for changing the settings of the assistance program (including settings related to accounts and notifications, settings related to the amount of physical activity, etc.), and for displaying the terms of use and legal notices related to the assistance program. The transition destination display screen will not be described in this embodiment.

Next, the support device 1 accepts a selection from the user regarding the function to be used (S4).

[Meal record screen (Figure 5-Figure 7)]
When the user presses the meal record button 34 on the home screen (S4, meal record), the support device 1 displays a meal record screen (S6). The support device 1 receives input of information about a meal (an example of a first event) from the user via the input receiving means 100.

Figure 5 shows an example of a meal recording screen. The meal recording screen includes a screen title 48, a recording date 50, a time display area 52, a recording method selection area 54, an image reading method selection area 56, a decision method selection area 58, a close button 62, and a next button 60.

Screen title 48 is an overview of the meal recording screen. Recording date 50 and time display area 52 respectively indicate the date and time related to the meal recording. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, by recording with recording date 50 displaying "December 1, 2022" and time display area 52 displaying "22:00", it is possible to record that a meal was eaten at "December 1, 2022, 22:00".

In the example of FIG. 5, the user cannot change the date of the meal record to another date, but may be able to change it to another date by pressing the recording date 50. Also, the user can change the hour and minute of the meal record by pressing the triangular button in the time display area 52.

The recording method selection area 54 is an area that displays options for the user to select a method for recording the contents of a meal. In the meal recording screen of FIG. 5, the check box corresponding to "Photo of meal" is checked.

The image loading method selection area 56 is an area that displays options for the method of loading images to be used for recording meals when the checkbox corresponding to "Meal photos" in the recording method selection area 54 is checked.

Specifically, the user can load an image to be used for the meal record by pressing "Take photo" or "Select from album" in the image loading method selection area 56. More specifically, when the user presses "Take photo", the camera provided in the support device 1 is activated, and the user can take a photo to be used for the meal record. On the other hand, when the user presses "Select from album", a list of images stored in the memory unit 14 of the support device 1 is displayed, and the user can select an image to be used for the meal record from among them.

After reading in a photographed or selected image to be used for recording meals, the support device 1 analyzes the meal contents contained in the image, typically by image analysis using machine learning or the like. The image analysis may be performed by the server device 2. Specifically, the support device 1 may transmit the image that it has read in to the server device 2, and receive the analysis results related to the image from the server device 2.

The determination method selection area 58 is an area for selecting a method for determining the meal contents based on the image analysis results when the checkbox corresponding to "Meal photo" in the recording method selection area 54 is checked. After analyzing the meal contents by image analysis, the support device 1 determines the meal contents to be recorded based on the method selected in the determination method selection area 58.

Specifically, on the meal recording screen in FIG. 5, the checkbox corresponding to "select by yourself from among the candidates automatically selected by AI" is checked in response to the explanation. By pressing the Next button 60, the support device 1 can transmit image information to the server device 2 and receive analysis results related to the image information from the server device 2. The analysis results include multiple candidates for meal contents, and can be displayed on the display screen of the support device 1 (see FIG. 7 described below). The support device 1 determines the meal contents selected by the user from the candidates as the subject of recording.

On the other hand, if the checkbox corresponding to "No" in the determination method selection area 58 is checked, the support device 1 will autonomously determine, based on the results of the image analysis, from among multiple candidate meal contents, the one that is determined to have the highest probability of being the meal content contained in the loaded image as the one to be recorded.

The close button 62 is a button for transitioning the display screen to the home screen.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of the meal recording screen. Specifically, while Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the meal recording screen when the checkbox corresponding to "meal photos" is checked in the recording method selection area 54, Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the meal recording screen when the checkbox corresponding to "keywords" is checked in the recording method selection area 54.

In the meal record screen of FIG. 6, a keyword input box 72 and a search button 73 are displayed in place of the image reading method selection area 56 and the determination method selection area 58 on the meal record screen of FIG. 5. The user can input a keyword related to the meal content in the keyword input box 72 and press the search button 73, causing the support device 1 to transmit text information of the input keyword to the server device 2 and receive an analysis result related to the text information from the server device 2. The analysis result includes multiple candidates for the meal content, and can be displayed on the screen of the support device 1 (see FIG. 7 described below). The support device 1 determines the meal content selected by the user from the candidates as the one to be recorded.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the analysis results received from the server device 2. The meal record screen in Figure 7 includes a meal content selection area 74. A number of meal content candidates (in this embodiment, curry rice 74a, udon 74b, and hamburger 74c) are displayed in the meal content selection area 74. The user can select the meal content to be recorded from these candidates and record the meal content by pressing the confirm button 92. The user can transition the display screen to the display screen that was displayed before the meal record screen in Figure 7 by pressing the back button 90.

In FIG. 7, three candidates for meal contents are displayed, but the number of candidates to be displayed is not limited to this, and the user may select the number of candidates to be displayed as desired. The support device 1 may also display scroll bars, page switching buttons, etc. on the meal record screen, and continuously display candidates for meal contents in response to user operations without setting a specific upper limit on the number of candidates to be displayed.

The information about the meal entered by the user is stored as event history information in the event history information DB 140 by the storage means 102 (S18).

[Nutrition Record Screen (Figure 8)]
When the user presses the Nutrient Supplement Record button 36 on the home screen (S4 Nutrient Supplement Record), the support device 1 displays a nutrient supplement record screen (S8). The support device 1 receives input of information related to taking a nutrient supplement (an example of a first event) from the user via the input receiving means 100.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a nutritional supplement recording screen. The nutritional supplement recording screen includes a screen title 94, recording date 96, time display area 98, dosage selection area 101, close button 105, and confirm button 107. Of these, the screen title 94, recording date 96, time display area 98, and close button 105 are similar to the screen title 48, recording date 50, time display area 52, and close button 62 in the meal recording screen of Figure 5, and therefore will not be described below.

The dosage selection area 101 is an area for the user to select the dosage of the nutritional supplement. The user can increase or decrease the dosage to be recorded by pressing the triangular button in the dosage selection area 101. The dosage is not particularly limited as long as it is a dosage that a doctor can prescribe to the user, and may be displayed, for example, in terms of the energy (calories), weight (grams), or liquid volume (mL) of the nutritional supplement. If the nutritional supplement is packaged so that a certain amount of nutritional supplement is enclosed in each packet, it may be displayed in terms of the number of packets, which may be, for example, 1 packet or more and 10 packets or less.

The Confirm button 107 is a button for recording the intake of a nutritional supplement at the set date, time and dosage. By pressing the Confirm button 107, the user can record information regarding the intake of the nutritional supplement.

The information regarding the intake of nutritional supplements entered by the user is stored as event history information in the event history information DB 140 by the storage means 102 (S18).

[Defecation record screen (Figure 9)]
When the user presses the defecation record button 38 on the home screen (S4: defecation record), the support device 1 displays a defecation record screen (S10). The support device 1 receives input of information about defecation (an example of a second event) from the user via the input receiving means 100.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a defecation record screen. The defecation record screen includes a screen title 132, record date 134, time display area 136, stool shape classification 138, stool shape selection area 140, bloody stool selection area 156, close button 158, and confirm button 160. Of these, the screen title 132, record date 134, time display area 136, and close button 158 correspond to the screen title 48, record date 50, time display area 52, and close button 62 on the meal record screen in Figure 5, and the confirm button 160 corresponds to the confirm button 107 on the nutritional supplement record screen in Figure 8, so they will not be explained below.

The stool shape selection area 140 is an area that displays options for the shape of stool related to the defecation record. The stool shapes displayed in the stool shape selection area 140 can be options based on the Bristol stool shape scale, for example. In the defecation record screen of FIG. 9, the options for stool shape are displayed as "round", "hard lump", "slightly hard", "normal", "soft", "sludgy", and "watery", which correspond to "round stool", "hard stool", "slightly hard stool", "normal stool", "slightly soft stool", "sludgy stool", and "watery stool" on the Bristol stool shape scale, respectively. Of these, "round" is selected by the user. Note that each option may be associated with an illustration or image so that the user can easily visually grasp the state of each stool shape. The user can record information about defecation by selecting a stool shape from the stool shape selection area 140 and pressing the confirm button 160.

The stool shape classification 138 is an element that indicates whether the shape of the stool displayed in the stool shape selection area 140 is classified as "hard stool," "normal stool," or "loose stool." In the defecation record screen of FIG. 9, "round" and "hard lumps" are classified as hard stool, "slightly hard," "normal," and "soft" are classified as normal stool, and "sludgy" and "watery" are classified as loose stool. In the Bristol stool shape scale, hard stool indicates that the stool has been in the intestines for a long time (i.e., a tendency toward constipation), and loose stool indicates that the stool is too soft and a tendency toward diarrhea.

The bloody stool presence/absence selection area 156 is an area that displays the option of whether or not there is blood in the stool related to the bowel movement record. If there is blood in the stool related to the bowel movement record, the user checks the checkbox corresponding to "Yes", and if there is no blood in the stool, the user checks the checkbox corresponding to "No" and then presses the confirm button 160 to record information regarding blood in the stool.

The defecation information input by the user is stored in the event history information DB 140 as event history information by the storage means 102 (S18).

[Abdominal pain record screen (Figure 10)]
When the user presses the abdominal pain record button 40 on the home screen (S4: abdominal pain record), the support device 1 displays an abdominal pain record screen (S12). The support device 1 receives input of information related to abdominal pain (an example of a second event) from the user via the input receiving means 100.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of an abdominal pain record screen. The abdominal pain record screen includes a screen title 122, record date 124, time display area 126, close button 128, and confirm button 130. Of these, the screen title 122, record date 124, time display area 126, and close button 128 correspond to the screen title 48, record date 50, time display area 52, and close button 62 on the meal record screen of Figure 5, and the confirm button 130 corresponds to the confirm button 107 on the nutritional supplement record screen of Figure 8, so they will not be described below.

The information about abdominal pain entered by the user is stored as event history information in the event history information DB 140 by the storage means 102 (S18).

[Severe abdominal pain record screen (Figure 11)]
When the user presses the "suffering stomach flu" button 41 on the home screen (S4, "suffering stomach flu" record), the support device 1 displays a "suffering stomach flu" record screen (S14). The support device 1 receives input of information regarding the "suffering stomach flu" (an example of a second event) from the user via the input receiving means 100.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the tense stomach record screen. The tense stomach record screen includes a screen title 162, record date 164, time display area 166, explanation 168, close button 170, and confirm button 172. Of these, the screen title 162, record date 164, time display area 166, and close button 170 correspond to the screen title 48, record date 50, time display area 52, and close button 62 on the meal record screen in Figure 5, and the confirm button 172 corresponds to the confirm button 107 on the nutritional supplement record screen in Figure 8, so they will not be explained below.

The explanatory text 168 is an example of an explanation regarding tenesmus. The tenesmus record screen in FIG. 11 displays "tenesmus is a condition in which stool does not come out despite the urge to defecate, or only a small amount of stool comes out." The explanatory text 168 may display an explanation of the difference between tenesmus and abdominal pain and the difference between tenesmus and diarrhea, etc.

The information about tense stomach input by the user is stored as event history information in the event history information DB 140 by the storage means 102 (S18).

[Review screen (Figure 12-Figure 14)]
When the user presses the review button 44 on the home screen (S4: review), the support device 1 displays a review screen (S16). The support device 1 generates support information based on the event history information using the generation unit 104, and displays the support information on the review screen using the display unit 106.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of a review screen. The review screen in Figure 12 includes a screen title 174, a meal record tab 176, a health record tab 178, display target dates 180, a detailed display button 182, a radar chart display area 184, a home button 192, a review button 194, and other buttons 196. Of these, the home button 192, the review button 194, and the other buttons 196 are similar to the home button 42, the review button 44, and the other buttons 46 in the home screen in Figure 4, and therefore will not be described below.

The Meal Record tab 176 is a tab that the user can press to display information about the record of the first event (i.e., meals and taking of nutritional supplements). In the review screens of Figures 12 and 13, the Meal Record tab 176 is in a pressed state.

The physical condition record tab 178 is a tab that the user can press to display information about the record of the second event (i.e., tenesmus, abdominal pain, and bowel movement). In the review screen of FIG. 14, the physical condition record tab 178 is in a pressed state.

The display target date 180 displays a date corresponding to the information displayed on the review screen. For example, the review screen of FIG. 12 displays information about the first event recorded on December 1, 2022. The user can also select another date as a display target by pressing the display target date 180. The support device 1 may synchronize the display target date 180 with the date 22 on the home screen described with reference to FIG. 4. For example, when the user presses the review button 44 with the date 22 set to a specific time on the home screen, the support device 1 may display the review screen of FIG. 12 with the display target date 180 set to the specific time. Similarly, when the user presses the home button 192 at the time when the display target date 180 is set to a specific time, the support device 1 may display the home screen described with reference to FIG. 4 with the date 22 set to the specific time.

The detail display button 182 is a button that the user can press to display details of the meal record. An example of the display screen when the detail display button 182 is pressed will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

The radar chart display area 184 is an area that displays nutrition summary information regarding nutrients ingested by the user in the form of a radar chart. The radar chart displays information regarding the types and amounts of nutrients (particularly energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and salt) ingested by the user during a unit period. In the display screen of FIG. 12, the unit period is 24 hours (i.e., one day), but it may be one week, one month, three months, etc., and the displayed nutrition summary information may be information regarding total or average values during the unit period, or information regarding the change in intake amount during the unit period.

The information displayed in the radar chart display area 184 is information generated by the generating means 104 based on at least one of the event history information, which is the record of meals and the record of taking nutritional supplements. In other words, the information displayed in the radar chart display area 184 is an example of support information.

The radar chart display area 184 displays information on nutrients taken by the user based on the records of meals and the intake of nutritional supplements in a radar chart. FIG. 12 shows an example in which the information is displayed separately in a nutritional supplement contribution area 186 and a meal contribution area 188. The meal contribution area 188 is an area that displays information on nutrients taken by the user through meals. On the other hand, the nutritional supplement contribution area 186 is an area that displays information on nutrients taken by taking nutritional supplements separately from nutrients taken through meals. In this way, the radar chart display area 184 may display nutrients taken by the user through meals and nutrients taken by the user through medication (including the intake of nutritional supplements) in a state where they can be distinguished from each other. The radar chart may also display nutrients taken through meals and the intake of nutritional supplements as a single radar chart.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing another example of the review screen. The user can transition the display screen to the review screen of Figure 13 by pressing the detail display button 182 on the review screen of Figure 12.

In the review screen of FIG. 13, instead of the detail display button 182 and radar chart display area 184 on the review screen of FIG. 12, a back button 206, a legend display area 208, a bar graph display area 210, and a scroll bar 218 are displayed.

The back button 206 is a button that the user can press to transition the display screen to the review screen shown in FIG. 12.

The legend display area 208 is an area that displays the legend for the bar graph display area 210. The legend display area 208 includes a legend corresponding to "ingested" nutrients, a legend corresponding to "excess" nutrients, and a legend corresponding to "deficient" nutrients.

The bar graph display area 210 displays information comparing reference information, which is calculated based on at least a portion of the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, and amount of physical activity and is a standard for the amount of nutrients that the user should ingest per unit period, with intake information, which is the amount of nutrients the user ingested in the unit period due to the first event. Specifically, it can be read from the bar graph display area 210 that the energy intake is in excess of the standard, while the intake of protein, fat, and carbohydrate is insufficient. Such information comparing the reference information with the intake information is also an example of support information. The bar graph display area 210 may also display nutrients taken by the user through food and nutrients taken through medication (including taking nutritional supplements) in separate areas so that they can be distinguished from each other.

The scroll bar 218 is an element that allows the user to change the type of nutrients displayed in the bar graph display area 210 by operating it. By moving (swiping or scrolling) the bar graph display area 210 or the scroll bar 218, for example, toward the bottom of the screen, the intake status of nutrients other than protein, lipids, and carbohydrates (e.g., vitamins and minerals, etc.) can be confirmed. In addition, the scroll bar 218 does not need to be displayed at all times on the review screen, and can be displayed appropriately in response to the user's operation of moving (swiping or scrolling) the bar graph display area 210.

Figure 14 is another example of the review screen. The user can transition the display screen to the review screen of Figure 14 by pressing the health record tab 178 on the review screen of Figures 12-13.

In the review screen of FIG. 14, instead of the display target date 180, the detailed display button 182, and the radar chart display area 184 on the review screen of FIG. 12, a display target week 234, a graph display area 236, and a legend display area 238 are displayed.

Display target week 234 displays the week corresponding to the information displayed on the review screen of FIG. 14. For example, the review screen of FIG. 14 displays information related to second events recorded in the week of November 21, 2022 (i.e., from November 21 to November 27, 2022). The user can also press display target week 234 to display information related to second events recorded in a different week. In this case, different dates are displayed as selectable dates, such as by displaying a calendar, and the user can select any date to display information related to second events recorded in the week to which the selected date belongs (not shown).

In addition, in the calendar displayed when the display target week 234 is pressed, the support device 1 may change the display mode of at least some of the dates based on the history of operations related to the user's various records (e.g., meal records and health records, etc.). The support device 1 may, for example, distinguishably display dates on which the user has entered various records from dates on which the user has not entered various records. The support device 1 may also display dates or areas separated by multiple colors with different tones according to the presence or absence and type of various records. The support device 1 may also display specific marks (e.g., marks indicating that meal records have been made, marks indicating that health records have been made, etc.) or icons associated with dates according to the presence or absence and type of various records. In this way, the support device 1 may display the presence or absence of various records on each of multiple dates in a recognizable manner on the calendar.

The graph display area 236 displays information regarding the number of times the second event occurs per unit period. Specifically, the graph display area 236 displays the number of hard stools, normal stools, and loose stools in the form of a stacked bar graph, and displays the number of times bloody stools, tenesmus, and abdominal pain in the form of a line graph. In these graphs, the number of occurrences of bloody stools, tenesmus, and abdominal pain are displayed by the display means 106 in a state in which they can be distinguished from one another. Such graphs are also an example of support information. In addition, in the review screen of FIG. 14, the unit period is one week, but it may be one month, three months, etc.

The legend display area 238 is an area that displays the legend for the graph display area 236. Specifically, the legend display area 238 displays the legends corresponding to hard stool, normal stool, loose stool, bloody stool, abdominal pain, and tenesmus.

Each legend is associated with a check box for determining whether or not to display it in the graph display area 236. In the review screen of FIG. 14, the check boxes corresponding to hard stool, normal stool, loose stool, bloody stool, and tenesmus are checked, and therefore this information is displayed in the graph display area 236. On the other hand, the check box corresponding to abdominal pain is not checked, and therefore information related to abdominal pain is not displayed in the graph display area 236. Check boxes corresponding to hard stool, normal stool, and loose stool may be provided separately, or a single check box may be provided for defecation in general. In other words, the support device 1 may receive a selection by the selection receiving means 108 to display information related to at least some of tenesmus, abdominal pain, defecation (including cases where hard stool, normal stool, and loose stool can be selected individually), and bloody stool.

4. Effects of the Support Device 1
The support device 1 can support the treatment of a patient with inflammatory bowel disease by recording and displaying information on the patient's diet and physical condition.

When treating inflammatory bowel disease, it is important to observe the nutrients the patient has ingested and the patient's physical condition (including bowel movements, abdominal pain, and tenesmus). For example, by observing how the patient's physical condition changes depending on what food they eat, it is possible to infer what food items the patient should avoid and what food items they should actively consume.

The support device 1 accepts input of information about events, including a first event (including intake of food and nutritional supplements) and a second event (including occurrence of bowel movements, abdominal pain, and tenesmus) from the user who is a patient (see Figs. 5-11), and displays a review screen (see Figs. 12-14). This allows, for example, a doctor diagnosing or treating the user to check the review screen and determine or change the diagnosis or treatment policy for the user. In addition, for example, by the user checking the review screen, the user can objectively view his or her own nutritional intake status and the occurrence of symptoms, providing an opportunity to reassess his or her own lifestyle.

In addition, the support device 1 can display information that is particularly important for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, which is one type of inflammatory bowel disease, and can support the user's treatment.

Information regarding the occurrence of tenesmus is particularly important in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, as an increase in the frequency of tenesmus is thought to be a sign of worsening symptoms of ulcerative colitis. In other words, doctors and patients can learn about the signs of ulcerative colitis by recording the frequency of tenesmus and observing it objectively.

The support device 1 can receive input of information regarding the occurrence of tenesmus (see FIG. 11) and display the trend in the number of occurrences (see FIG. 14). For example, if a doctor observes an increase in the number of occurrences of tenesmus, the doctor can determine that the user's ulcerative colitis symptoms may worsen in the future and use this information as support information when changing the type and amount of medicine prescribed for the user.

The support device 1 not only focuses on the condition of the stool, but also on the occurrence of tenesmus, which is an indicator of the degree of inflammation in the intestines, thereby more effectively supporting the user's treatment.

In addition, the support device 1 can display whether the user is ingesting sufficient nutrients and support the user's treatment.

When treating inflammatory bowel disease, it is important that patients consume sufficient nutrients. For example, depending on the type of disease, it may be advisable for patients to avoid consuming foods that contain a lot of nutrients that put a strain on the digestive tract, such as lipids. In addition, depending on the type of disease, it may be advisable for patients to actively consume foods that are rich in dietary fiber, as these foods have the effect of regulating the intestinal environment.

The support device 1 displays a review screen regarding the nutrients taken by the user in the form of a radar chart (see FIG. 12) and a bar graph (see FIG. 13). This allows, for example, a doctor who has checked the review screen to use it as a support tool when giving advice to the user regarding food and nutrient items and intake amounts. In addition, the user who has checked the review screen can use it to objectively view their own nutritional intake status and improve their lifestyle, or use it as a consultation support tool to seek advice when consulting a doctor.

In particular, the review screen in FIG. 12 allows the user to grasp the breakdown of nutrients taken in through meals and nutrients taken in through nutritional supplements by displaying the nutrient supplement contribution area 186 and the dietary contribution area 188. As a result, a doctor who checks the review screen in FIG. 12 can, for example, know that the user's intake of nutrients from nutritional supplements is excessive, and can advise the user to reduce the intake of certain nutrients through meals, or to take in greater amounts or types of nutrients. In addition, the user who checks the review screen can objectively view their own nutritional intake status and use it to improve their lifestyle, or use it as a consultation support tool to seek advice on their own nutritional intake status when consulting a doctor.

Ingestion of nutritional supplements is important in treating inflammatory bowel disease, and the support device 1 supports the user's treatment more effectively by displaying not only the nutrient intake status from food but also the nutrient intake status from nutritional supplements.

In addition, on the review screen of FIG. 13, the bar graph display area 210 allows the user to understand whether the user has actually ingested the standard amount of nutrients that should be ingested based on the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, amount of physical activity, etc. As a result, a doctor or user who checks the review screen of FIG. 13 can know, for example, that the amount of lipid intake is higher than the standard and the amount of dietary fiber is lower than the standard. The standard amount of nutrients that should be ingested is not particularly limited as long as it is calculated appropriately based on the above items, but as an example, it can be set in advance with reference to the "Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese" issued by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, etc.

The support device 1 can also display the amount of nutrients that should be ingested based on the settings at the time when the record was actually made, rather than the time when the review screen was displayed. This makes it possible to display the amount of nutrients ingested at that time relative to the standard at the time of recording, even if the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, amount of physical activity, etc. have changed between the time when the record was made and the time when the review screen was displayed (i.e., even if the amount of nutrients that should be ingested has changed). For example, when the support device 1 displays a review screen related to the record at a first time point at a second time point after the first time point, the relationship between the amount of nutrients that should be ingested based on the user's height, etc. at the first time point and the amount of nutrients that the user actually ingested at the first time point may be displayed, regardless of the user's height, etc. at the second time point.

The user can typically select from a number of levels of physical activity (e.g., level 1, level 2, and level 3). The standard amount of nutrients that the user should ingest may be set to be high when the level of physical activity is relatively high (e.g., level 3) and low when the level of physical activity is relatively low (e.g., level 1). This allows the user to know the amount of nutrients that should be ingested according to their own level of physical activity.

Inflammatory bowel disease patients have a weakened digestive ability and may need to ingest more nutrients than healthy people, but may need to limit their intake of nutrients that put a strain on the digestive system, such as lipids and proteins, compared to healthy people. The support device 1 more effectively supports the user's treatment by displaying whether the user is ingesting sufficient nutrients.

5. Modes for carrying out the invention
The above-mentioned embodiments may be combined, modified, or deleted based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art to the extent that no contradiction occurs. The above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples, and do not limit the contents of the present invention.

The support device 1 in the above embodiment may be composed of a combination of multiple devices. Alternatively, for example, the support device 1 may be a part of another device. Similarly, the support program executed by the support device 1 may be composed of a combination of multiple programs, and each of the multiple programs may be stored in a different device. Alternatively, the support program executed by the support device 1 may have functions other than those described in the above embodiment.

The support device 1 may have a function to display a notification screen. On the notification screen, information regarding updates to the support program, occurrence of a malfunction, etc. is typically displayed. The notification screen may be either a notification list screen that displays summaries of multiple notifications in a list format, or a notification detail screen that displays details of a notification selected by the user from the multiple notifications. On the notification screen, the support device 1 may further display a button for transitioning to the notification screen on the home screen described with reference to FIG. 4.

The support device 1 may also have a function of displaying a push notification. The support device 1 may also display a screen corresponding to a push notification in response to a user pressing a push notification displayed on the screen. Note that the push notification may be either a remote push notification that is performed by receiving an instruction to perform the push notification from the server device 2, or a local push notification that is performed without the need for communication with the server device 2.

The push notification may be, for example, a notification (i.e., a reminder) that prompts the user to enter a record if at least one of the food record, medication record, and physical condition record has not been entered by a specified time each day. In this case, the support device 1 may display a food record screen or a physical condition record screen in response to the user pressing the reminder push notification. This allows the support device 1 to efficiently support the user in keeping records.

The support device 1 may receive an operation from the user to enable or disable the reminder. In addition, when the reminder for recording medication is enabled, the user can set the name and dosage of the medication to be taken in association with the reminder.

The push notification may also be a notification indicating that a new notification has been added. In this case, the support device 1 may display a notification details screen regarding the added notification in response to a user pressing the push notification indicating that a new notification has been added.

The support device 1 may also have a function of displaying medication instructions and information related to inflammatory bowel disease. The support device 1 may further display a button on the home screen described with reference to FIG. 4 for transitioning to a screen displaying medication instructions or information related to inflammatory bowel disease. In response to a user pressing the button, the support device 1 may, for example, start browser software installed on the support device itself and display a web page containing the medication instructions or information related to inflammatory bowel disease.

The display screens described with reference to Figures 4 to 14 are merely examples, and the design, display items, explanatory text, type of graph, screen transitions, etc. may be changed. For example, the nutrient items displayed in the radar chart display area 184 and the bar graph display area 210 may be "vitamins," "iron," "calcium," "zinc," and "potassium" in addition to "energy," "salt," "protein," "dietary fiber," "carbohydrates," and "lipids." In addition, when displaying vitamin intake status in the radar chart display area 184 and the bar graph display area 210, the types of vitamins include, for example, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin K, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin, and all of these may be displayed, or only some of these may be displayed, and different vitamins may be displayed without being limited to these. In addition, when displaying mineral intake status, the types of minerals include, for example, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, chromium, and molybdenum, but all of these may be displayed, only some of these may be displayed, and different minerals may be displayed without being limited to these.

In the above embodiment, the support device 1 including the input receiving means 100 has been described, but the support device 1 does not have to include the input receiving means 100. The support device 1 may receive event history information from another device (e.g., the server device 2) and display support information generated based on the event history information.

In the above embodiment, the server device 2 has been described as transmitting an installer to the support device 1, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the server device 2 may run a support program on the support device 1 by transmitting response information (e.g., an HTTP response) in response to request information (e.g., an HTTP request) from the support device 1.

Storing information by the storage means 102 includes making the information available to the support device 1. Specifically, in the above embodiment, the storage means 102 has been described as storing the event history information in the event history information DB 140 of the storage unit 14, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the storage means 102 may transmit the event history information to the server device 2 and store the event history information in a storage unit included in the server device 2.

Displaying information by the display means 106 includes making the information visible to the user. Specifically, in the above embodiment, the display means 106 has been described as displaying the support information on the display device 310 of the support device 1, but this is not limited to this. For example, the display means 106 may be such that a device other than the support device 1 can display the support information.

In the above embodiment, the home screen has been described as including the greeting message 20, the date 22, the timeline display area 24, the scroll bar 32, the meal record button 34, the nutritional supplement record button 36, the bowel movement record button 38, the abdominal pain record button 40, the abdominal pain record button 41, the home button 42, the review button 44, and the other buttons 46, but is not limited to this. For example, in addition to or instead of these, a medication record button and a growth record button may be included. The medication record button may be a button for transitioning to a screen for recording information on the intake of medicines other than nutritional supplements that the user takes as prescribed by a doctor for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, the growth record button may be a button for transitioning to a screen for checking whether the user is growing according to a general growth curve by recording the user's age, height, weight, etc., if the user is a child. In this screen, a graph showing the user's growth curve may be displayed, and the user's growth curve may be displayed in a manner that allows comparison between the user's growth curve and a general growth curve. In addition, the support device 1 may have a function for determining whether the user is a child based on registration information of application software, etc.

In this case, the support device 1 may display the input growth record, for example, as one aspect of a review screen. The support device 1 may display, for example, as one aspect of the review screen, a list of growth records recorded for the entire period or any period selected by the user in table form or in graph form. Inflammatory bowel disease may reduce the efficiency of nutrient absorption. Therefore, it is important to observe whether the patient is absorbing nutrients sufficiently, especially if the patient is a child. With this configuration, the user's growth record can be displayed as a list, allowing the doctor to determine whether the user is absorbing nutrients sufficiently.

The support device 1 may display a physical record button on the home screen, for example, regardless of whether the user is a child or not. The physical record button is a button that transitions to a screen for recording physical records (e.g., height, weight, body temperature, physical activity, etc.), and may be the same as the growth record button when the user is a child. The physical record button may be a button that transitions to a screen where all information about the physical record can be input on one screen, or a button that transitions to an individual input screen for each type of physical record may be provided separately. For example, the support device 1 may display a screen where three items, height, weight, and body temperature, can be input in response to the user pressing the physical record button. The support device 1 may display a screen where the user can input height in response to the user pressing the height record button, and may display a screen where the user can input weight in response to the user pressing the weight record button. The support device 1 can acquire information about height, etc. input by the user. The support device 1 can acquire information about height, etc. by communicating with other devices that collect data about the body (e.g., a smart watch, an IoT device, and a weighing scale with a communication function).

In the above embodiment, the meal record button 34, nutrient record button 36, bowel movement record button 38, abdominal pain record button 40, and abdominal pain record button 41 are described as buttons that can transition the display screen to an event input screen corresponding to each button, but this is not limited to this. For example, an event input modal corresponding to each button may be displayed superimposed on the home screen.

In the above embodiment, it has been described that pressing the triangular button in the time display area 52, 98, 126, 136, or 166 or the dosage setting area 101 allows the time or dosage for each corresponding record to be changed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the contents may be selected by scrolling up and down the numbers themselves displayed in a drum roll format in each area.

In the above embodiment, the image analysis of the captured or selected image used for the meal record and the search for the text information entered with keywords are described as being performed by the server device 2, but this is not limited to this. For example, the image or text information may be sent to a food/nutrient database or a Web API (Application Programming Interface) type I/F that can be connected via the communication network 3, and the support device 1 may receive the results of the analysis by the database or I/F. An example of such a food/nutrient database or I/F is the Calomyl (registered trademark) API.

In the above embodiment, in the example screens shown in Figs. 5 to 9, the presence or absence of a check in a check box indicates the selection of the corresponding item or function, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the selection may be indicated by the presence or absence of a tap on an icon image representing the item or function, or a radio button may be displayed instead of a check box and indicated by the presence or absence of selection of the radio button.

In the above embodiment, for example, in FIG. 7, the user is described as inputting a record of a meal of a predetermined unit amount. In response to this, the support device 1 may accept input of information regarding the difference or ratio between the predetermined unit amount and the amount of food actually consumed by the user. The support device 1 may display a button for selecting the ratio of the amount of food actually consumed by the user to the predetermined unit amount, for example, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 250%, 300%, etc. In response to this, the user may be able to select the meal menu and the ratio. For example, if the user eats two servings of curry and rice, the user selects the menu of "curry and rice" and presses the button for the ratio of "200%". This allows the amount of nutrients to be recorded more accurately according to the amount of food eaten by the user. The predetermined unit amount may be, for example, one portion, the entire amount, 100g, etc.

In the above embodiment, the support device 1 has been described as accepting input of records related to tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation as records related to the second event. The support device 1 may further accept input of records other than these as records related to the second event. The support device 1 may, for example, accept input of records related to defecation urgency. The support device 1 may, for example, display an input field for recording the presence or absence or degree of defecation urgency on the defecation record screen described with reference to FIG. 9. The support device 1 may also display a defecation urgency record button alongside the defecation record button 38, abdominal pain record button 40, and tenesmus record button 41 on the home screen described with reference to FIG. The support device 1 may display a screen for recording the presence or absence or degree of defecation urgency in response to the user pressing the defecation urgency record button. Defecation urgency refers to the symptom of an urgent need to defecate, and includes both cases where you feel the urge to defecate but are able to go to the toilet and cases where you feel the urge to defecate but are unable to move to the toilet in time, resulting in leakage of stool.

6. Other functions of the support device 1
In addition to the functions described in the above embodiment, the support device 1 may also have the following functions, for example.

- Ability to export recorded information -
The support device 1 may have a function of exporting recorded information. Specifically, the support device 1 may have a function of outputting information recorded by the user on a meal record screen, a nutrient record screen, an abdominal pain record screen, a bowel movement record screen, a tenesmus record screen, a screen for recording physical records (height, weight, body temperature, etc.), or processed information thereof, as, for example, a text file, a CSV file, a PDF file, etc. An example of information processed from information recorded by the user is a graph as shown in Fig. 12-14. In addition, the support device 1 may be capable of transmitting the recorded information to another device, such as its own terminal device, by email.

The support device 1 may have a function of outputting information for accessing the recorded information, for example, as an image code such as a QR code (registered trademark) or a URL. A doctor can check graphs such as those shown in FIGS. 12-14 on his/her own terminal device, for example, by reading the QR code (registered trademark) displayed on the support device 1 with his/her own terminal device. The support device 1 may also be able to transmit information for accessing the recorded information to another device, such as his/her own terminal device, by email. In this case, the user may set a password for accessing the recorded information, and in this case, the support device 1 may be able to transmit the password to the other device.

- A function that displays toilet locations on a map -
The support device 1 may have a function of displaying a map showing the positions of toilet facilities in a specified area. The support device 1 may acquire location information using a GPS equipped in the device itself and display the positions of toilet facilities near the device itself on a map, or may display the positions of toilet facilities near a position specified by the user on a map. The support device 1 may also display the usage status or congestion status of the toilet facility on a map together with or independently of the location information. As such a function, for example, a known program described in JP 2019-95924 A, JP 2009-841126 A, JP 2004-326414 A, etc. may be incorporated into the device itself with reference to the program.

- Swipe to change the date -
In the above embodiment, it has been described that the user can select another date as the date to be input or edited by pressing the date 22 on the home screen in Fig. 4. The support device 1 may also receive, for example, a left-right swipe operation from the user on the home screen and change the date to be displayed in response to the swipe operation. For example, the support device 1 may display the record of the previous day in response to a right-side swipe operation from the user.

- Function to display explanatory text -
The support device 1 may further display an explanatory text of the display contents on the review screen of Fig. 12-14. The explanatory text may be displayed on the same screen, or may be displayed by transitioning to a different screen based on a tap operation or the like at any point, or may be displayed so as to overlap a modal with the review screen. For example, the support device 1 may further display an explanatory text regarding the legend of the bar graph display area 210 on the review screen of Fig. 13.

- Function to record memos -
The support device 1 may have a function of accepting input of notes regarding, for example, the date of hospital visit, the medical institution, the matter to be consulted during the hospital visit, etc. The input notes are displayed in a list form on the home screen of FIG. 4, for example.

- Function to display changes in nutritional intake -
In the above embodiment, the support device 1 displays the number of hard stools, normal stools, and loose stools in the form of a stacked bar graph, and displays the number of bloody stools, tenesmus, and abdominal pain in the form of a line graph on the review screen of Fig. 14. In relation to this, the support device 1 may display the transition of nutritional intake in the form of a graph based on information input by the user on the meal record screen of Fig. 7 and the nutrient supplement record screen of Fig. 8. The support device 1 may display, for example, a bar graph showing the amount of protein taken by the user on each day of the past week, and a line graph showing the amount of calories taken by the user on each day of the past week.

- Ability to manually set the amount of standard nutrients -
In the above embodiment, the reference amount of nutrients to be ingested by the user is mainly determined based on the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, amount of physical activity, etc., but is not limited to this. The support device 1 may receive an input of the reference amount of nutrients to be ingested by the user and use it for comparison with the amount of nutrients actually ingested by the user. The reference amount of nutrients to be ingested by the user is input by, for example, a doctor or the user himself/herself.

- Function to display nutritional supplement intake status -
The support device 1 may further display the intake status of nutritional supplements on the review screen of Fig. 12-13. The intake status of nutritional supplements may be, for example, the date and time and the amount of nutritional supplements taken by the user in the past, and whether or not the nutritional supplement was taken on the day. Such intake status may be displayed in a list format, or may be displayed as a graph independent of the bar graph display area 210 or the radar chart display area 184.

- Function to set email address -
The support device 1 may have a function of setting an email address of the user and a function of changing the set email address. The support device 1 may send various notifications such as reminders for recording meals and defecation to the set email address. The support device 1 may send a report summarizing the information displayed on the review screen to the set email address.

- Function to display information content -
The support device 1 may display information content including, for example, information on taking a nutritional supplement or a therapeutic drug for inflammatory bowel disease and information on inflammatory bowel disease. The support device 1 may display the information content on an individual page to which a transition can be made from the home screen of Fig. 4, or may display the information content or a link for accessing the information content on the home screen of Fig. 4.

- Ability to zoom in and out on the review screen -
The support device 1 may enlarge or reduce the graph displayed on the review screen of Fig. 12-14 in response to a user's operation. For example, the support device 1 may enlarge the graph display area 236 on the review screen of Fig. 14 based on a user's pinch-out operation. Similarly, the support device 1 may reduce the graph display area 236 on the review screen of Fig. 14 based on a user's pinch-in operation.

- Function to display body temperature records -
When the support device 1 records body temperature information on a screen for recording physical records, the support device 1 may display the recorded body temperature information in a list on a review screen or the like. The display format may be a list format or a graph format. The period displayed in the list may be set to be appropriately changeable according to the user's operation, and for example, an arbitrary period such as one week may be displayed in the list. The body temperature record may be displayed independently in the list, or may be displayed in the list as processed information combined with other information recorded in the support device 1 (for example, information recorded on a meal record screen, a nutrient record screen, an abdominal pain record screen, a bowel movement record screen, a tenesmus record screen, and a screen for recording physical records (height, weight, body temperature, etc.)).

Embodiments of the present invention include the following aspects:

[Appendix 1]
An assistance program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a storage means 102 that stores event history information relating to a history of events including a first event relating to the user's intake of nutrients through at least one of meals and medication, and a second event relating to at least the user's tenesmus; and a display means 106 that displays assistance information for assisting the user in a diagnosis, the assistance information being generated based on the event history information.

[Appendix 2]
The assistance program of supplementary note 1 may cause the computer to further function as an input receiving unit 100 that receives input of information related to an event from a user.

[Appendix 3]
In addition, in the case of Addendum 1 or Addendum 2, the second event may further include events related to the user's stomach pain and bowel movements.

[Appendix 4]
In Addendum 3, the event history information may include information associated with a time point when an event occurred and information regarding whether the event was a meal, a medication, a bowel movement, abdominal pain, or tenesmus.

[Appendix 5]
In Supplementary Note 4, the support information may include information in which the event history information is arranged in the order in which the events occurred.

[Appendix 6]
In Supplementary Note 3, the support information may include information regarding the number of times per unit period in the second event.

[Appendix 7]
In Addendum 6, the information regarding the number of occurrences per unit period in the second event may be displayed by the display means 106 in a state in which the number of occurrences of tenesmus, the number of occurrences of bowel movements, and the number of occurrences of abdominal pain can be distinguished from one another.

[Appendix 8]
The assistance program of appendix 7 may further cause the computer to function as a selection receiving means 108 that receives a selection for displaying information relating to at least a part of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation.

[Appendix 9]
In any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8, the support information may include information regarding the type and amount of nutrients taken by the user in the unit period.

[Appendix 10]
In Supplementary Note 9, the information regarding the type and amount of nutrients may be displayed by the display means 106 in a state in which nutrients taken by the user through meals and nutrients taken by the user through medication can be distinguished from each other.

[Appendix 11]
The assistance program described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10 causes the computer to function as a comparison means 110 that compares reference information, which is calculated based on at least a portion of the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, and amount of physical activity and is a standard for the amount of nutrition that the user should ingest per unit period, with intake information, which is the amount of nutrition the user ingested in the unit period due to the first event, and the assistance information may include information regarding the result of the comparison by the comparison means 110.

[Appendix 12]
The support program according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 11 may be a program for supporting induction of remission and maintenance of remission in a patient with inflammatory bowel disease.

[Appendix 13]
A recording medium according to another aspect of the present invention has an assistance program according to any one of claims 1 to 12 recorded thereon.

[Appendix 14]
The support device 1 according to another aspect of the present invention includes a memory unit that stores event history information regarding a history of events including a first event related to the intake of nutrients by at least one of a user's food and medication and a second event related to at least the user's stomachache, and a display unit that displays support information for supporting a diagnosis for the user, the support information being generated based on the event history information.

[Appendix 15]
Another aspect of the present invention provides an assistance method that causes a computer to execute the steps of: storing event history information regarding a history of events, the event history information including a first event regarding the user's intake of nutrients through at least one of meals and medication, and at least a second event regarding the user's tenesmus; and displaying assistance information for assisting the user in a diagnosis, the assistance information being generated based on the event history information.

1...Support device, 2...Server device, 10...Control unit, 14...Storage unit, 100...Input reception means, 102...Storage means, 104...Generation means, 106...Display means, 108...Selection reception means, 110...Comparison means

Claims (9)

Computer,
a storage means for storing event history information on a history of events including a first event related to nutritional intake by the user through meals and taking at least one nutritional supplement selected from the group consisting of enteral nutritional supplements and elemental nutritional supplements prescribed for patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and a second event related to at least tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation of the user;
an input receiving means for receiving an input of information related to the event from a user, the input receiving means being configured to, when receiving an input of information related to the second event, receive the input by distinguishing whether the second event is abdominal pain, abdominal pain, or defecation;
A display means for displaying support information for supporting a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease for a user,
The support information is
generated based on the event history information;
First support information that identifiably indicates the type and/or amount of nutrition taken from meals and the intake of the nutritional supplement during a predetermined period of time;
and second support information that identifiably indicates the occurrence of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation during the predetermined period,
a display means for switching between and displaying the first support information and the second support information in response to a user operation ;
This is a support program that functions as a 2. The support program according to claim 1, wherein the event history information includes information associating a time point when the event occurred with information as to whether the event was a meal, taking the nutritional supplement, defecation, abdominal pain, or tenesmus. The support program according to claim 2, wherein the support information includes information in which the event history information is arranged according to the order in which the events occurred. The computer further comprises:
2. The support program according to claim 1 , further comprising a selection receiving means for receiving a selection for displaying information relating to at least a part of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation. the computer is further caused to function as a comparison means for comparing reference information, which is calculated based on at least a part of the user's height, weight, sex, age, type of disease, and physical activity level, and is a standard for the amount of nutrition that the user should ingest per unit period, with intake information, which is the amount of nutrition that the user ingested in the unit period due to the first event;
The support program according to claim 1 , wherein the support information includes information regarding a result of the comparison made by the comparison means. The support program according to claim 1 , which supports induction of remission and maintenance of remission in a patient with inflammatory bowel disease. A recording medium on which the support program according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is recorded. a storage unit that stores event history information on a history of events including a first event related to nutritional intake by the user through meals and taking at least one nutrient selected from the group consisting of enteral nutrients and elemental nutrients prescribed for patients with inflammatory bowel disease , and a second event related to at least tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation of the user;
an input receiving unit that receives an input of information related to the event from a user, the input receiving unit being configured to, when receiving an input of information related to the second event, distinguish whether the second event is abdominal pain, abdominal pain, or defecation and then receive the input;
A display unit that displays support information for supporting a user in diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease ,
The support information is generated based on the event history information;
First support information that identifiably indicates the type and/or amount of nutrition taken from meals and the intake of the nutritional supplement during a predetermined period of time;
and second support information that identifiably indicates the occurrence of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation during the predetermined period,
a display unit capable of switching between and displaying the first support information and the second support information in response to a user operation ;
A support device comprising: On the computer,
storing event history information on a history of events including a first event related to nutritional intake by the user through meals and taking at least one nutritional supplement selected from the group consisting of enteral nutritional supplements and elemental nutritional supplements prescribed for patients with inflammatory bowel disease , and a second event related to at least tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation of the user;
receiving an input of information related to the event from a user, and when receiving the input of information related to the second event, receiving the input while distinguishing whether the second event is abdominal pain, abdominal pain, or defecation;
Displaying support information for supporting a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease for a user,
The support information is
generated based on the event history information;
First support information that identifiably indicates the type and/or amount of nutrition taken from meals and the intake of the nutritional supplement during a predetermined period of time;
and second support information that identifiably indicates the occurrence of tenesmus, abdominal pain, and defecation during the predetermined period,
switching and displaying the first support information and the second support information in response to a user operation ;
How to support the implementation of these measures.