Patent Publication Number: US-2020279645-A1

Title: Medical care support device, medical care support method, and medical care support program

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-036589 filed on Feb. 28, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a medical care support device, a medical care support method, and a computer-readable storage medium storing a medical care support program. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Generally, before a medical examination is performed by a doctor, a patient writes and submits health information on an interview sheet, or the like. 
     JP2003-022325A discloses a technique for receiving an input form in which health information related to a user is input from an information terminal device of the user and transmitting information related to a disease corresponding to the received health information. 
     The input format disclosed in JP2003-022325A is a format that conforms to a so-called questionnaire, and is used to input information such as a past history, habits, physical information, or symptoms. The information filled in the questionnaire is general information about health, and it is not always possible to obtain information necessary for medical care according to a disease. In general, the questionnaire is submitted before the first examination, for example, there are cases where the questionnaire is insufficient to obtain information for medical care after the first examination. 
     In particular, in a case where a patient that suffers from a disease is a pet, since it is difficult for the pet itself to send information necessary for medical care to an owner or a veterinarian, sufficient information may not be transmitted to the doctor. 
     As a result, pet care by veterinarians tends to be inefficient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a medical care support device, a medical care support method, a terminal device, and a computer-readable storage medium storing a medical care support program capable of improving efficiency of medical care. 
     In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a medical care support device that includes a processor that is configured to: output support information for supporting acquisition, by an owner of a pet, of medical condition information indicating a medical condition of a disease from which the pet suffers; and acquire information of the pet acquired by the owner on the basis of the support information. 
     Further, in order to achieve the above object, according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a medical care support method including: by one or more processors: outputting support information for supporting acquisition, by an owner of a pet, of medical condition information indicating a medical condition of a disease from which the pet suffers; and acquiring information of the pet acquired by the owner on the basis of the support information. 
     In addition, in order to achieve the above object, according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a medical care support program for causing a computer to: output support information for supporting acquisition, by an owner of a pet, of medical condition information indicating a medical condition of a disease from which the pet suffers; and acquire information of the pet acquired by the owner on the basis of the support information. 
     Furthermore, according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal device incudes: a display device that displays support information for supporting acquisition, by a user, of medical condition information indicating a medical condition of a disease from which the pet suffers; and an input device that accepts input information from the user on the basis of the support information. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a medical care support system according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the medical care support device according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information storage unit according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing an example of identification information/disease name correspondence information according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing an example of disease name/medical condition information correspondence information according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an example of format information according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing an example of accumulated medical condition information according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a veterinarian terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a medical care support device according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing an example of a medical care supporting process executed by the medical care support device according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing an example of a medical condition information acquiring process executed by the owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a format is displayed on a display unit of the owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a format is displayed on the display unit of the owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a format is displayed on the display unit of the owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a format is displayed on the display unit of the owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 17  is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a format is displayed on the display unit of the owner terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 18  is a flowchart showing an example of a progress observing process executed by the veterinarian terminal according to the embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is a flowchart showing an example of a medical examination requesting process executed by the veterinarian terminal according to the embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments for performing the technique of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     First, a medical care support system  1  of an embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 1 . The medical care support system  1  of this embodiment supports pet medical care performed by a veterinarian in an animal hospital or the like. In this embodiment, the “medical care” is used as a general term for “medical examination”, “diagnosis”, “treatment”, and the like. Hereinafter, as a specific example, a case where medical care in the next medical examination is supported, for a pet P examined by a veterinarian V at an animal hospital, by supporting progress observation by an owner U of the pet P until the next medical examination (re-examination), will be described. 
       FIG. 1  shows a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the medical care support system  1  of the present embodiment. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the medical care support system  1  of this embodiment includes a medical care support device  10 , an information storage unit  12 , an owner terminal  14 , and a veterinarian terminal  16 . The medical care support device  10 , the information storage unit  12 , the owner terminal  14 , and the veterinarian terminal  16  are connected to a network N, respectively, and is able to communicate with each other through a network N. The present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and a configuration in which at least one of the medical care support device  10 , the information storage unit  12 , the owner terminal  14 , or the veterinarian terminal  16  communicates with other devices without going through the network N may be used. 
     The medical care support device  10  has a function for providing the owner U with support information (hereinafter, referred to as a “format”) for supporting the owner U of the pet P that is a medical care target in acquiring information related to a medical condition of the pet P (hereinafter, referred to as “medical condition information”) as a progress observation. Specifically, the medical care support device  10  outputs a format for acquiring medical condition information to the owner terminal  14  owned by the owner U. Further, the medical care support device  10  has a function for acquiring medical condition information acquired on the basis of a format provided from the medical care support device  10  from the owner terminal  14 . The acquired medical condition information is accumulated in the information storage unit  12 . 
     An example of a hardware configuration of the medical care support device  10  of this embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the medical care support device  10  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  20 , a memory  21  that serves as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit  22 . Further, the medical care support device  10  includes a display unit  24  such as a liquid crystal display, an input unit  26  such as a keyboard or a mouse, and a network interface (I/F)  28  connected to the network N. The CPU  20 , the memory  21 , the storage unit  22 , the display unit  24 , the input unit  26 , the network I/F  28  are connected to a bus  29  so that they can communicate with each other. 
     The storage unit  22  is realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, and the like. A support program  23  is stored in the storage unit  22  that serves as a storage medium. The CPU  20  reads out the support program  23  from the storage unit  22 , develops the support program  23  into the memory  21 , and executes the developed support program  23 . 
     Further, the information storage unit  12  of this embodiment is a cloud-type external storage that is able to be used online. As shown in  FIG. 3 , identification information/disease name correspondence information  30 , disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32 , format information  34 , and accumulated medical condition information  36  are stored in the information storage unit  12 . 
     First, the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  will be described.  FIG. 4  shows an example of the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30 . The identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  is information representing a correspondence relationship between identification information for identifying the pet P and a disease name of the pet P. 
     In the example of the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  shown in  FIG. 4 , as the identification information of the pet P, a “pet ID (Identifier)”, a “name” of the pet P, a “type” of the pet P, and an “age” of the pet P are exemplified. The “type” of the pet P includes species or breed of the pet P. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment, and for example, information relating to the owner U may also be used as the identification information. Further, the “disease name” in the example of the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  is not limited to a “disease name”, but may also include “injury”, or the like, and additionally, may include a “disease name” or a “symptom name”. 
     The identification information and the disease name may be provided in such a form that, for example, the medical care support device  10  acquires identification information input through the veterinarian terminal  16  by the veterinarian V and registers the result in the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30 . Further, for example, in a case where the veterinarian V&#39;s animal hospital uses an electronic medical record, a form in which the medical care support device  10  acquires identification information from the electronic medical record of the pet P and registers the result in the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  may be used. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 4 , information indicating the presence or absence of unique format information is registered in the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  of the present embodiment. Although details will be described later, as an example, in the medical care support system  1  of this embodiment, a default format is predetermined for each disease (disease name), but the format may be customized according to a desire of the veterinarian V. Hereinafter, the format customized for each pet P by the veterinarian V may be referred to as a “unique format”. In the example of  FIG. 4 , a state where a unique format information ID “F0001” is registered for a pet P of which a pet ID is “1003” is shown. 
     Next, the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  will be described.  FIG. 5  shows an example of the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32 . The disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  is information representing the correspondence relationship between a disease name and a medical condition information name necessary for medical care and progress observation of the disease. The disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  of this embodiment is an example of a correspondence of the present disclosure. 
     The medical condition information is information related to the medical condition of the pet P as a progress observation as described above, which is information for medical care of a disease from which the pet P suffers. The medical condition information includes at least one of information related to an appearance of the pet, information related to a behavior of the pet, and information related to excrement. In general, a symptom referred to by a veterinarian in medical examination, a portion where the symptom appears, content of a progress observation, and the like may differ depending on diseases. That is, the medical condition information necessary for medical care may differ for each disease. 
     For example, in a case where the pet P suffers from a cold, symptoms may appear in the whole body by repeating a state of crying, a state of excrement, fatigue and sneezing, or the like. Further, for example, in a case where the pet P is injured, it is necessary to observe a state of the affected portion or a state of the whole body, and in a case where the pet is in pain, a symptom may appear in a cry, for example. 
     In addition, in the case of colds, sore throats, tracheal collapse, injuries, urolithiasis, dementia, and viral rhinotracheitis (in the case of cats), symptoms often appear in a cry. Further, in the case of colonic diarrhea, anal cystitis, hemorrhage, parvovirus infection, or the like, symptoms may appear in excrement (stool) through symptoms such as bloody stool, which may show red. Similarly, as diseases that show symptoms in the color of excrement (stool), gastric ulcer and small intestinal diarrhea, tumors, ulcers, parasites, and the like tend to show black excrement, and infection by protozoa such as Giardia and Trichomonas tends to show yellow excrement. Further, parasites, diarrhea due to infection, intestinal bacterial flora, abnormal digestive functions, and the like tend to show green excrement, and gallbladder disorders, Giardia, acute hepatitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis, and the like tend to show white or gray excrement. Further, as diseases in which symptoms appear in the odor of excrement (stool), there are chronic enteritis, pancreatitis, and the like. Furthermore, as diseases in which symptoms appear in the frequency of excrement (urine), there is hyperthyroidism, or the like. 
     Further, depending on the above-mentioned diseases, symptoms may appear in the form of excrement (stool) such as solid and mud, and symptoms may appear in the amount of excrement. In addition, in a case where the pet P vomits due to the above-mentioned diseases, the vomit (included in the excrement) may include information necessary for medical care of the diseases. 
     In this way, there is a characteristic in a portion where a symptom appears due to a disease. Further, in addition to a portion where a symptom appears, there is also medical condition information necessary or useful for medical care. For example, in the case of dermatitis, since the spread of inflammation, in addition to an affected portion itself, is information necessary for medical care, the state of the whole body of the pet P is also information that is useful for medical care. On the other hand, there is a case where the state of the affected portion itself is information necessary for medical care, such as cataract. 
     Further, as an element that affects progression of a disease, in other words, change of a symptom, there is a medication status of the pet P, for example. 
     Thus, in the medical care support system  1  of the present embodiment, for each disease, information in which a disease name and a medical condition information name that is necessary or useful for medical care and a progress observation of the disease are associated with each other is used as the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an example in which a “photo (whole body)” that represents an image of the whole body of the pet P, a “photo (affected portion)” that represents an image of an affected portion, a “photo (excrement)” that represents an image of excrement of the pet P, a “cry” that represents a sound of a cry of the pet, a “odor (excrement)” that represents a odor of the excrement of the pet P, a “color (excrement)” that represents a color of the excrement of the pet P, and “medication information” are used as medical condition information. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , in a case where the disease name is “injury”, “photo (whole body)”, “photo (affected portion)”, “cry”, and “medication status” are associated as medical condition information necessary for a progress observation. 
     In addition, depending on the type of an animal is, for example, whether the animal is a dog or a cat, or depending on the breed or the like of a dog in a case where the animal is the dog, there is a case where the type of a disease from which the animal suffers or a symptom to appear differs. Accordingly, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of types of disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  in accordance with the type, breed, and the like of the animal. 
     Next, the format information  34  will be described.  FIG. 6  shows an example of the format information  34 . In the format information  34 , data of each format is stored for each piece of medical condition information. In the format information  34 , data of each format itself may be stored, or a location where the format exists, such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), may be stored. Further, as shown in  FIG. 6 , in the format information  34 , data of the above-described unique format is also stored. 
     Next, the accumulated medical condition information  36  will be described.  FIG. 7  shows an example of the accumulated medical condition information  36 . The accumulated medical condition information  36  is accumulated in a state where medical condition information acquired by the medical care support device  10  from the owner terminal  14  is associated with information for identifying the pet P (a pet ID in the example shown in  FIG. 7 ). 
     On the other hand, as the owner terminal  14 , for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or the like may be used. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the owner terminal  14  is formed as a single device has been described, but a configuration in which the owner terminal  14  is formed as a plurality of devices may be used. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , an example of a hardware configuration of the owner terminal  14  of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the owner terminal  14  includes a CPU  40 , a memory  41  that is a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit  42 . Further, the owner terminal  14  includes a display unit  44  such as a liquid crystal display, an imaging unit  45  such as a camera, an input unit  46  such as a microphone that is a sound collecting device, an output unit  47  such as a speaker, and a network I/F  48  connected to the network N. The CPU  40 , the memory  41 , the storage unit  42 , the display unit  44 , the imaging unit  45 , the input unit  46 , the output unit  47 , and the network I/F  48  are connected to a bus  49  so as to be able to communicate with each other. As an example, the owner terminal  14  of this embodiment includes a touch panel display having functions of the display unit  44  and the input unit  46 . 
     The storage unit  42  is realized by an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, and the like. A medical condition information acquiring program  43  is stored in the storage unit  42  as a storage medium. The CPU  40  reads out the medical condition information acquiring program  43  from the storage unit  42 , develops the medical condition information acquiring program  43  in the memory  41 , and executes the developed medical condition information acquiring program  43 . 
     On the other hand, the veterinarian terminal  16  includes a desktop computer, a tablet computer, or the like, for example. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the veterinarian terminal  16  is formed as a single device has been described, but a configuration in which the veterinarian terminal  16  is formed as a plurality of devices may be used. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9 , an example of a hardware configuration of the veterinarian terminal  16  of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the veterinarian terminal  16  includes a CPU  50 , a memory  51  that is a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit  52 . Further, the veterinarian terminal  16  includes a display unit  54  such as a liquid crystal display, an input unit  56  such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a microphone, and a network I/F  58  connected to the network N. The CPU  50 , the memory  51 , the storage unit  52 , the display unit  54 , the input unit  56 , and the network I/F  58  are connected to a bus  59  so as to be able to communicate with each other. 
     The storage unit  52  is realized by an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, and the like. Progress observation program  53 A and medical examination request program  53 B are stored in the storage unit  52  that is a storage medium. The CPU  50  reads out each of the progress observation program  53 A and the medical examination request program  53 B from the storage unit  52 , develops the progress observation program  53 A and the medical examination request program  53 B in the memory  41 , and executes the developed progress observation program  53 A and medical examination request program  53 B. 
     Next, with reference to  FIG. 10 , functional configurations of the medical care support device  10 , the owner terminal  14 , and the veterinarian terminal  16  according to the present embodiment will be described.  FIG. 10  shows a functional block diagram showing an example of configurations of the medical care support device  10 , the owner terminal  14 , and the veterinarian terminal  16  of this embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the medical care support device  10  includes an output unit  60 , an acquiring unit  62 , and a request unit  64 . The CPU  20  of the medical care support device  10  executes the support program  23 , the CPU  20  functions as the output unit  60 , the acquiring unit  62 , and the request unit  64 . Further, the owner terminal  14  includes an acquiring unit  80  and a browsing unit  82 . As a CPU  40  of the owner terminal  14  executes the medical condition information acquiring program  43 , the CPU  40  functions as the acquiring unit  80  and the browsing unit  82 . Further, the veterinarian terminal  16  includes a customization unit  90 , a medical examination instruction unit  92 , and a progress observation unit  94 . As a CPU  50  of the veterinarian terminal  16  executes the progress observation program  53 A, the CPU  50  functions as the customization unit  90  and the progress observation unit  94 , and as the CPU  50  executes the medical examination request program  53 B, the CPU  50  functions as the medical examination instruction unit  92 . 
     The output unit  60  of the medical care support device  10  outputs a format  70  for supporting acquisition of medical condition information  72  necessary for a progress observation of the pet P, with reference to the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30 , the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32 , and the format information  34 . The format  70  output from the output unit  60  is transmitted to the owner terminal  14  through the network N by the network I/F  28 . 
     The format  70  transmitted from the medical care support device  10  is acquired by the acquiring unit  80  of the owner terminal  14 . The owner U acquires the medical condition information  72  on the basis of the format  70  acquired by the acquiring unit  80 . The acquiring unit  80  of the owner terminal  14  transmits the acquired medical condition information  72  from the owner terminal  14  to the medical care support device  10  through the network N. 
     The acquiring unit  62  of the medical care support device  10  acquires the medical condition information  72  transmitted from the owner terminal  14  through the network I/F  28 . The acquiring unit  62  accumulates the acquired medical condition information  72  in the accumulated medical condition information  36 . 
     Further, the output unit  60  of the medical care support device  10  outputs the format  70  in response to a request from the veterinarian terminal  16 . The format  70  output from the output unit  60  is transmitted to the veterinarian terminal  16  through the network N by the network I/F  28 . 
     The format  70  transmitted from the medical care support device  10  is acquired by the customization unit  90  of the veterinarian terminal  16 . The format  70  used for the progress observation by the veterinarian V can be customized by the customization unit  90  of the veterinarian terminal  16  of the present embodiment. Accordingly, the customization unit  90  of the veterinarian terminal  16  acquires a predetermined format  70  such as a default format  70  from the medical care support device  10 , and then, outputs the customized format  70  to the medical care support device  10  by the veterinarian V. 
     On the other hand, the request unit  64  of the medical care support device  10  requests the veterinarian V for medical care on the basis of the medical condition information  72  accumulated in the accumulated medical condition information  36 . For example, the request unit  64  of this embodiment transmits a medical care request  74  to the veterinarian terminal  16  through the network N by the network I/F  28  at a predetermined timing (which will be described later in detail). 
     The medical care request  74  transmitted from the medical care support device  10  is received by the medical examination instruction unit  92  of the veterinarian terminal  16 . On the basis of the received medical care request  74 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  prompts the veterinarian V to examine the pet P based on the medical condition information  72  accumulated in the accumulated medical condition information  36 . 
     Further, the browsing unit  82  of the owner terminal  14  of this embodiment acquires the medical condition information  72  accumulated in the accumulated medical condition information  36 , and displays the medical condition information  72  to be browsed by the owner U. 
     In addition, the progress observation unit  94  of the veterinarian terminal  16  of the present embodiment acquires the medical condition information  72  accumulated in the accumulated medical condition information  36  in a case where the veterinarian V observes the progress information of the pet P that is a medical care target, and displays the medical condition information  72  to be observed by the veterinarian V. 
     Next, an operation of the medical care support system  1  according to this embodiment will be described. First, an operation of the medical care support device  10  will be described with reference to  FIG. 11 . In this embodiment, the CPU  20  of the medical care support device  10  executes the support program  23  so that a medical care supporting process shown in  FIG. 11  is executed. As an example, in the medical care supporting process of the present embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , in a case where the pet ID is received from the owner terminal  14 , the format  70  corresponding to the pet P corresponding to the pet ID is transmitted to the owner terminal  14 . Further, in the medical care supporting process of this embodiment, in a case where the medical condition information  72  and the pet ID are received from the owner terminal  14 , the medical condition information  72  is accumulated in the information storage unit  12 . In addition, in the medical care supporting process of this embodiment, in a case where the disease name or pet ID is received from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the format  70  is customized by the veterinarian terminal  16 . Accordingly, in the medical care support device  10  of this embodiment, the medical care supporting process shown in  FIG. 11  is executed in a case where any of the pet ID, the medical condition information  72 , and a disease name is received from the owner terminal  14  or the veterinarian terminal  16 . 
     In step S 100  of  FIG. 11 , the output unit  60  determines whether to output the format  70 . In the medical care support device  10  of this embodiment, in a case where the pet ID is received from the owner terminal  14  as described above and the medical condition information  72  is not received, the format  70  is output. Accordingly, in a case where the medical condition information  72  is received from the owner terminal  14  and in a case where the pet ID is not received from the owner terminal  14 , the determination in step S 100  is negative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 102 . 
     In step s 102 , the output unit  60  determines whether or not the medical condition information  72  has been received from the owner terminal  14 . In a case where the medical condition information  72  has not been received from the owner terminal  14 , in other words, in a case where the disease name or the pet ID has been received from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the determination in step S 102  is negative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 104 . 
     In step S 104 , the output unit  60  acquires the received disease name or pet ID. In the next step S 106 , the output unit  60  acquires the format  70  corresponding to the received disease name or pet ID from the information storage unit  12 . Specifically, in a case where the disease name is acquired from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  specifies a medical condition information name corresponding to the received disease name, with reference to the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  in the information storage unit  12 . Further, the output unit  60  acquires the format  70  corresponding to the specified medical condition information name from the format information  34 . On the other hand, in a case where the pet ID is acquired from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  specifies unique format information corresponding to the received pet ID, with reference to the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  in the information storage unit  12 . Further, the output unit  60  acquires the format  70  corresponding to the specified unique format information from the format information  34 . 
     In the next step S 108 , the output unit  60  outputs the format  70  acquired in step S 106 . The format  70  output from the output unit  60  is transmitted to the veterinarian terminal  16  through the network N. 
     In the veterinarian terminal  16  that has received the format  70  by the customization unit  90 , the format  70  is customized by determination of the veterinarian V. In a case where the veterinarian V customizes the format  70 , a request for another format  70  is made from the customization unit  90 . 
     Accordingly, the output unit  60  determines whether or not a request for the format  70  is received from the veterinarian terminal  16  in the next step S 110 . In a case where the request for the format  70  has not been received, the determination in step S 110  is negative, and the present medical care supporting process is terminated. On the other hand, in a case where the request for the format  70  is received from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the determination in step S 110  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 112 . 
     In step S 112 , the output unit  60  outputs another format  70  that is different from the format  70  output in step S 108 . Specifically, the output unit  60  acquires and outputs the format  70  that has not been acquired in the process of step S 108  from the format information  34  of the information storage unit  12 . The other format  70  output from the output unit  60  is transmitted to the veterinarian terminal  16  through the network N. 
     Although details will be described later, the customization unit  90  of the veterinarian terminal  16  that has received the other format  70  uses the other format  70  to customize the format  70  by determination of the veterinarian V. In a case where the veterinarian V customizes the format  70 , the customized format  70  is transmitted from the customization unit  90  as information indicating the unique format  70  (hereinafter, referred to as “unique format information”). As an example, in the present embodiment, the unique format information includes information indicating which format  70  is included. 
     Accordingly, in step S 114 , the output unit  60  determines whether or not the unique format information (format  70 ) has been received from the veterinarian terminal  16 . The determination in step S 114  is negative until the unique format information (format  70 ) is received from the veterinarian terminal  16 . On the other hand, in a case where the unique format information (format  70 ) is received from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the determination in step S 114  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 116 . 
     In step S 116 , the output unit  60  registers the received unique format information (format  70 ), and then, ends the present medical care supporting process. Specifically, in a case where the processes of steps S 104  to S 114  are executed by receiving the disease name from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  changes the medical condition information name associated with the disease name, of the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  in the information storage unit  12 , in accordance with the unique format information. Further, in a case where the processes of steps S 104  to S 114  are executed by receiving the pet ID from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  assigns an ID for identifying the unique format information to the received unique format information (format  70 ), and associates the assigned ID with the pet ID of the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  in the information storage unit  12  (see  FIG. 4  and the “unique format” of the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30 ). Then, the output unit  60  registers the unique format in the format information  34 . 
     As described above, in the medical care supporting process of this embodiment, the format  70  corresponding to the veterinarian V can be customized by the processes of steps S 104  to S 116 . 
     On the other hand, in a case where the medical care support device  10  receives the pet ID from the owner terminal  14 , the determination in step S 100  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 118 . In step S 118 , the output unit  60  acquires the pet ID received from the owner terminal  14 . 
     In the next step S 120 , the output unit  60  determines whether or not the unique format information is associated with the acquired pet ID. Specifically, the output unit  60  determines whether or not the unique format information is associated with the acquired pet ID, with reference to the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  in the information storage unit  12 . In a case where the unique format information is associated with the acquired pet ID, the determination in step S 120  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 124 . On the other hand, in a case where the unique format information is not associated with the acquired pet ID, the determination in step S 120  is negative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 122 . 
     In step S 122 , the output unit  60  specifies a disease name corresponding to the received pet ID. In other words, the disease name in which the pet P having the acquired pet ID is affected is specified. Specifically, the output unit  60  specifies the disease name associated with the acquired pet ID, with reference to the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  in the information storage unit  12 . 
     In the next step S 124 , the output unit  60  selects the format  70  to be output. Specifically, in a case where the determination in step S 120  is affirmative and the procedure proceeds to step S 124 , the output unit  60  selects the format  70  corresponding to the unique format information from the format information  34 . Further, in a case where the disease name is specified in step S 122 , the output unit  60  specifies a medical condition information name corresponding to the disease name specified from the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32 . In addition, the output unit  60  selects the format  70  corresponding to the specified medical condition information name from the format information  34 . 
     In the next step S 126 , the output unit  60  outputs the format  70  selected in step S 124  to the owner terminal  14 , and then, terminates the present medical care supporting process. The format  70  output from the output unit  60  is transmitted to the owner terminal  14  through the network N. 
     In the acquiring unit  80  of the owner terminal  14  that has received the format  70 , the medical condition information  72  is acquired by the owner U on the basis of the format  70 . 
     On the other hand, in a case where the medical care support device  10  has received the medical condition information  72  from the owner terminal  14 , the determination in step S 102  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 128 . In step S 128 , the acquiring unit  62  acquires the medical condition information  72  and the pet ID received from the owner terminal  14 . 
     In the next step S 130 , the acquiring unit  62  accumulates the acquired medical condition information  72  in the accumulated medical condition information  36  of the information storage unit  12  in association with the pet ID. 
     In the next step S 132 , the request unit  64  determines whether or not to request the veterinarian V for medical examination. In the medical care support device  10  of the present embodiment, the veterinarian V is requested to examine the medical condition information  72  according to the acquired medical condition information  72 . As an example, in a case where the medical condition information  72  is received from the owner terminal  14  a predetermined number of times, the request unit  64  of the present embodiment requests the veterinarian V to examine the pet P based on the medical condition information  72 . In this way, by requesting medical examination from the veterinarian V, before the pet P visits an animal hospital, it is possible to perform the medical examination by the veterinarian V with respect to whether there has been a change in a medical condition during a progress observation, for example, a sudden change, or the like. A timing at which the request unit  64  requests the veterinarian V for medical examination is not limited to this embodiment. For example, a configuration in which in a case where the request unit  64  analyzes the medical condition information  72  accumulated in the accumulated medical condition information  36  and it is determined that there has been a sudden change, the veterinarian V is requested to perform medical examination may be used. In this case, for example, the request unit  64  may perform a request for medical examination according to a determination result, using a learning model for determining sudden change or progression of a disease, in which a combination of data representing a symptom corresponding to the medical condition information  72  (for example, a photo of an affected portion) and a disease is constructed as teacher data. 
     In a case where the veterinarian V is not requested to perform the medical examination, the determination in step S 132  is negative, and the medical care supporting process is terminated. On the other hand, in a case where the veterinarian V is requested to perform the medical examination, the determination in step S 132  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 134 . 
     In step S 134 , the request unit  64  transmits the medical care request  74  to the veterinarian terminal  16  of the veterinarian V, and then, terminates the medical care supporting process. In addition, the form of the medical examination request transmitted by the request unit  64  is not particularly limited. For example, the request unit  64  may transmit a pet ID and a message indicating a request for medical examination in an e-mail format. Further, for example, unlike the present embodiment, a transmission destination of the medical examination request to be transmitted by the request unit  64  may be a device different from the veterinarian terminal  16 , for example, a mobile terminal of the veterinarian V that is owned separately from the veterinarian terminal  16 , or the like. 
     Next, an operation of the owner terminal  14  of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as the CPU  40  of the owner terminal  14  executes the medical condition information acquiring program  43 , the medical condition information acquiring process shown in  FIG. 12  is executed. As an example, in the medical condition information acquiring process of this embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , a process for acquiring medical condition information based on the format  70  acquired from the medical care support device  10  and browsing the accumulated medical condition information is performed. 
     As an example, in the owner terminal  14  of this embodiment, in a case where the owner U instructs execution of the medical condition information acquiring program  43  registered as an application program using the input unit  46 , the medical condition information acquiring process shown in  FIG. 12  is executed. 
     In step S 400  of  FIG. 12 , the acquiring unit  80  causes the display unit  44  to display a selection screen (not shown) for the owner U to select any one of acquisition of the medical condition information  72  or browsing of the medical condition information  72 . The owner U selects any one of the acquisition of the medical condition information  72  or the browsing of the medical condition information  72  using the input unit  46  according to the selection screen displayed on the display unit  44 . 
     In the next step S 402 , the acquiring unit  80  determines whether or not the owner U has selected the acquisition of the medical condition information  72  according to the selection screen displayed in step S 400 . In a case where the owner U has selected the acquisition of the medical condition information, the determination in step S 402  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 404 . 
     In step S 404 , the acquiring unit  80  transmits a pet ID for identifying the pet P of the owner U to the medical care support device  10 . The pet ID to be transmitted may be registered in advance in the owner terminal  14 , or may be input by the owner U through the input unit  46  at the start of the medical condition information acquiring process. 
     As described above, the output unit  60  of the medical care support device  10  acquires the pet ID transmitted from the owner terminal  14 , outputs the format  70  corresponding to the acquired pet ID, and transmits the result to the owner terminal  14  through the network N (steps S 118  to S 126  in  FIG. 11 ). 
     Accordingly, in the next step S 406 , the acquiring unit  80  acquires the format  70  transmitted from the medical care support device  10 . In the next step S 408 , the acquiring unit  80  causes the display unit  44  to display the acquired format  70 .  FIGS. 13 and 14  show an example of a state where the format  70  is displayed on the display unit  44  of the owner terminal  14 . 
     The example shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14  shows the format  70  ( 701  to  704 ) in a case where the pet P has a pet ID “1002” and a name “Noritama” in the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  shown in  FIG. 4 . The identification information/disease name correspondence information  30  shown in  FIG. 4  indicates that “Noritama” of the pet ID “1002” suffers from “cold”. Since the pet is suffering from “cold”, the format  70  for acquiring “photo (whole body)”, “photo (excrement)”, “cry” and “medication status” is displayed on the display unit  44  of the owner terminal  14  as medical condition information associated with “cold” in the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The example shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14  shows a state where information indicating each of the name of the pet P, current date and time, and the number of days since the progress observation has started is displayed on the display unit  44  of the owner terminal  14  as basic information  100 . 
     Further, the example shown in  FIG. 13  shows a state where a format  70   1  for acquiring medical condition information of “cry”, a format  70   2  for acquiring medical condition information of “excrement (photo)”, a format  70   3  for acquiring medical condition information of “photo (whole body)”, and a format  70   4  for acquiring medical condition information of “color (excrement)” are displayed. In addition, as the owner U scrolls the screen of the display unit  44  shown in  FIG. 13 , as shown in  FIG. 14 , a format  70   5  for acquiring medical condition information of “medication information” is displayed. In this embodiment, the formats  70   1  to  70   5 , and the like are simply referred to as a “format  70 ” in a case where they are collectively referred to without distinction depending on the medical condition information. 
     In the next step S 410 , the acquiring unit  80  performs a medical condition information acquiring process. As the acquiring unit  80  performs the medical condition information acquiring process, the medical condition information is acquired by the owner U according to the format  70 . 
     The acquisition of medical condition information based on the format  70  by the owner U will be described in detail. In the example shown in  FIG. 13 , each of the formats  70   1  to  70   3  includes a navigation  110  of behaviors to be performed by the owner U in order to acquire the medical condition information. The owner U acts in accordance with the navigation  110  in order to acquire the medical condition information. 
     As a specific example, in the owner terminal  14  of the present embodiment, in a case where the medical condition information of “photo (whole body)” is acquired, the owner U instructs (clicks) an area of the format  70   3  displayed on the display unit  44 . In a case where it is detected that the area of the format  70   3  has been instructed, the acquiring unit  80  activates the imaging unit  45 , and switches the owner terminal  14  to an imaging mode. By switching the owner terminal  14  to the imaging mode, the screen displayed on the display unit  44  is switched to a camera screen on which a subject image is displayed, and the owner U captures a whole body image of the pet P by the imaging unit  45 . In a case where the imaging is performed by the imaging unit  45  and a captured image (photo) is acquired, the screen displayed on the display unit  44  by the acquiring unit  80  is switched from the camera screen to a screen on which the format  70  is displayed, of which an example is shown in  FIG. 15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 15 , in a case where the captured image (photo) is acquired, the acquiring unit  80  displays an acquired photo  120  of the pet Pin the area of the format  70   3  of the display unit  44 . Further, the acquiring unit  80  displays buttons  124  and  126  on the photo  120  displayed on the area of the format  70   3 . The button  124  is a button operated by the owner U in taking a photo of the pet P again. In a case where it is detected that the button  124  is operated by the owner U, the acquiring unit  80  activates the imaging unit  45 , switches the owner terminal  14  to the imaging mode, and repeats the above-described process of acquiring the photo of the pet P. 
     On the other hand, the button  126  is a button operated by the owner U in registering a photo of the pet P as medical condition information. In a case where it is detected that the button  126  is operated by the owner U, the acquiring unit  80  first stores data of the photo  120  in the storage unit  42 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 16 , the acquiring unit  80  replaces the buttons  124  and  126  with completion information  128  indicating that the acquisition of the whole body photo of the pet P is completed on the photo  120  displayed in the area of the format  70   3 . 
     In a case where a captured image (photo) is acquired as the medical condition information in this way, the acquiring unit  80  may display a reference image indicating a state where the medical condition information is acquired as a reference of a method for acquiring the medical condition information in the area of the format  70 . In the example shown in  FIG. 17 , a state where the acquiring unit  80  displays a captured image obtained by imaging a whole body of an animal as a reference image  129  in the format  70   3  is shown. Further, in the above example, a configuration in which the navigation  110  is displayed has been described, but a configuration in which information corresponding to the navigation  110  may be output through the output unit  47  as sound in addition to or in place of the navigation  110  may be used. 
     Further, for example, in the owner terminal  14  of the present embodiment, in a case where the medical condition information of “cry” is acquired, the owner U instructs (clicks) the area of the format  70   1  displayed on the display unit  44 . In a case where it is detected that the area of the format  70   1  has been instructed, the acquiring unit  80  activates a sound collecting device included in the input unit  46 , and switches the owner terminal  14  to a sound collecting mode. In a case where the owner terminal  14  is switched to the sound collecting mode, the acquiring unit  80  records sound collected by the sound collecting device for a predetermined time such as one minute, for example. In a case where the sound (cry) is acquired, the acquiring unit  80  displays the buttons  124  and  126  on the format  70   1  in a similar manner to the above-described acquisition of the photo, acquires the sound again in a similar manner to the above description, and performs display of the completion information  128  and storage of the acquired sound data in the storage unit  42 . 
     In addition, in a case where the sound is acquired as the medical condition information in this way, the acquiring unit  80  may activate the imaging unit  45  and may acquire a moving image including sound, instead of acquiring sound using the sound collecting device included in the input unit  46 . Further, the acquiring unit  80  may output a sound acquisition method through the output unit  47  as sound. 
     Further, in the example shown in  FIG. 13 , a color sample  111  for selecting a color closest to the color of the excrement (stool) of the pet P is included in the format  70   4  for acquiring “color (excrement)” as medical condition information. In the medical care support device  10  of the present embodiment, the owner U selects a color closest to the color of the excrement of the pet P from the plurality of colors shown in the color sample  111 , and operates (clicks on) the selected color portion. In a case where it is detected whether or not the operation is performed with respect to any color, the acquiring unit  80  stores the detection result in the storage unit  42 . 
     Further, in the example shown in  FIG. 14 , the format  70   5  for acquiring “medication information” as medical condition information includes a mark  130  indicating a timing at which the owner U causes the pet P to take a medicine. In the example shown in  FIG. 14 , the format  70   5  in which the mark  130  is displayed on a medication date on which medication is taken on a calendar. In the example shown in  FIG. 14 , in a case where the owner U causes the pet P to take a medication, the owner U instructs (clicks) an area corresponding to the date on which the medication is taken. In a case where an instruction from the owner U is detected, the acquiring unit  80  changes an area corresponding to the corresponding date to a color display  131  indicating that the medicine has been taken. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 14 , a configuration in which the mark  130  indicating the timing at which the medicine is taken, that is, the timing at which the medication status is acquired is displayed in a case where the “medication information” is acquired as the medical condition information has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, in a case where the time corresponds to a timing of medication, such as a date or time of the medication, the acquiring unit  80  may output information indicating that the medication is to be performed, in addition to or in place of the display of the mark  130 , through the output unit  47  as sound. Further, in a case where the information indicating that the medication has been performed is not acquired even after the medication timing, in the above example, in a case where a corresponding area is not instructed by the owner U even after the medication date in the format  70   3 , it is preferable that the acquiring unit  80  notifies the owner U of information indicating that the medication is not being performed at a predetermined timing. 
     In a case where the medical condition information corresponding to all the formats  70  is acquired as described above, the owner U instructs (clicks) the completion button  102  shown in  FIG. 13 , or the like. In this way, in the owner terminal  14  of the present embodiment, the medical condition information is acquired by the owner U on the basis of the format  70 . 
     Accordingly, in a case where it is detected that the completion button  102  has been instructed, the acquiring unit  80  considers that the acquisition of the medical condition information is completed. In step S 412  of  FIG. 12 , the acquiring unit  80  determines whether or not the acquisition of the medical condition information is completed. Until the acquisition of the medical condition information is completed, the determination in step S 412  is negative. On the other hand, in a case where the acquisition of the medical condition information is completed, the determination in step S 412  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 414 . 
     In step S 414 , the acquiring unit  80  transmits all the medical condition information  72  acquired by the process of step S 410  to the medical care support device  10  through the network N, and then, terminates the medical condition information acquiring process. 
     On the other hand, in a case where the owner U selects the browsing of the medical condition information  72  on the selection screen displayed on the display unit  44  in step S 400 , the process in step S 402  is negative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 416 . 
     In step S 416 , the browsing unit  82  acquires medical condition information corresponding to the pet ID from the accumulated medical condition information  36  in the information storage unit  12  through the network N. 
     In the next step S 418 , the browsing unit  82  causes the display unit  44  to display the acquired medical condition information. Thus, the owner U can browse a history of the medical condition information of the pet P, that is, a progress state of the medical condition information. In the owner terminal  14  of this embodiment, in a case where the display of the medical condition information is to be terminated, the owner U gives an instruction for terminating the display through the input unit  46 . 
     In the next step S 420 , a negative determination is made until the browsing unit  82  detects that the owner U has instructed to terminate the display. On the other hand, in a case where the browsing unit  82  detects that the owner U has instructed to terminate the display, the determination in step S 420  is affirmative, and the medical condition information acquiring process is terminated. 
     Next, an operation of the veterinarian terminal  16  of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, as the CPU  50  of the veterinarian terminal  16  executes the progress observation program  53 A, a progress observing process shown in  FIG. 18  is executed. As an example, in the progress observing process of this embodiment shown in  FIG. 18 , a process for customization by the veterinarian V for a format used for acquiring medical condition information and observation of accumulated medical condition information is performed. 
     As an example, in the veterinarian terminal  16  of the present embodiment, in a case where the veterinarian V instructs the input unit  56  to perform a process related to a progress observation, the progress observing process shown in  FIG. 18  is executed. 
     In step S 600  of  FIG. 18 , the customization unit  90  determines whether or not to perform a progress observation based on the accumulated medical condition information. In a case where the veterinarian V inputs an instruction for customizing the format through the input unit  56 , the determination in step S 600  is negative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 602 . In step S 602 , the customization unit  90  transmits a disease name or a pet ID that is a target of format customization, which is input by the veterinarian V using the input unit  56 . 
     As described above, in a case where the medical care support device  10  receives the disease name or the pet ID transmitted from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  transmits a format according to the received disease name or pet ID to the veterinarian terminal  16  (see  FIG. 11 , steps S 104  to S 108 ). 
     Accordingly, in the next step S 604 , the customization unit  90  acquires the format received by the veterinarian terminal  16  from the medical care support device  10  through the network N. In the next step S 606 , the customization unit  90  displays the acquired format on the display unit  54 . The veterinarian V performs customization in a desired format with reference to the format displayed on the display unit  54 . In a case where the veterinarian V wants to customize the format, the veterinarian V instructs the customization of the format through the input unit  56 . 
     In step S 608 , the customization unit  90  determines whether or not a customization instruction has been given. In a case where the customization instruction has not been given within a predetermined time, the determination in step S 608  is negative, and the progress observing process is terminated. On the other hand, in a case where the customization instruction has been given, the process in step S 608  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 610 . 
     Examples of the customization include changing the format associated with the disease name. A specific example of this case will be described with reference to  FIG. 5 . For example, in the example shown in  FIG. 5 , “photo (whole body)”, “photo (affected portion)”, and “medication information” are associated with “dermatitis”, as the medical condition information name. Accordingly, in the example shown in  FIG. 5 , for the pet P that is suffering from dermatitis, formats corresponding to “photo (whole body)”, “photo (affected portion)”, and “medication information” are displayed in step S 606 . In a case where the veterinarian V also uses “cry” as medical condition information of the pet P that is suffering from dermatitis for medical care, the veterinarian V instructs the input unit  56  to make a request for a format corresponding to “cry”. 
     In addition, for example, regarding a disease from which the pet P is suffering, the previous medical examination has diagnosed that the pet is suffering from “dermatitis”, but it is suspected that the pet is suffering from “parasite”, the veterinarian V may register the format of the medical condition information corresponding to both diseases as unique format information of the pet P. In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , as the unique format information of the pet ID transmitted in step S 602 , information indicating that the formats of “photo (excrement)”, “odor (excrement)”, and “color (excrement)” associated with “parasite” are added, in addition to the formats of “photo (whole body)”, “photo (affected portion)”, and “medication information” associated with “dermatitis”, may be registered. In this case, since the format corresponding to “dermatitis” is displayed on the display unit  54  in step S 606 , the veterinarian V instructs the input unit  56  to request the format corresponding to “parasite”. 
     In step S 610 , the customization unit  90  requests a format according to the instruction from the veterinarian V. Specifically, the customization unit  90  transmits a request for a format corresponding to the medical condition information desired by the veterinarian V to the medical care support device  10  through the network N. 
     As described above, in a case where the medical care support device  10  receives the request transmitted from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  transmits the format according to the received request to the veterinarian terminal  16  (see  FIG. 11 , steps S 110  and S 112 ). 
     Accordingly, in the next step S 612 , the customization unit  90  acquires the format received by the veterinarian terminal  16  from the medical care support device  10  through the network N. In the next step S 614 , the customization unit  90  further displays the format acquired in step  5612  on the display unit  54  on which the format has already been displayed by the process of step S 606 . 
     The veterinarian V selects a format to be registered in association with the disease name or pet ID from the format displayed on the display unit  44  using the input unit  56 . 
     In the next step S 616 , the customization unit  90  acquires the selection result of the veterinarian V. In the next step S 618 , the customization unit  90  transmits the selection result of the veterinarian V as unique format information, and then, the progress observing process is terminated. 
     As described above, in a case where the medical care support device  10  receives the unique format information transmitted from the veterinarian terminal  16 , the output unit  60  registers the received unique format information (see  FIG. 11 , steps S 114  and S 116 ). 
     In this embodiment, a configuration in which in a case where the format is customized, a format associated with medical condition information is changed has been described, but the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration in which a display format such as a layout, or display content is customized (changed) with respect to a certain format may be used. 
     On the other hand, in a case where the veterinarian V inputs an instruction for performing a progress observation based on accumulated medical condition information through the input unit  56 , the determination in the process of step S 600  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 620 . 
     In step S 620 , the progress observation unit  94  acquires the medical condition information corresponding to the pet ID from the accumulated medical condition information  36  in the information storage unit  12  through the network N. 
     In the next step S 622 , the progress observation unit  94  displays the acquired medical condition information on the display unit  54 . Thus, the veterinarian V can observe a history of the medical condition information of the pet P, that is, can perform the progress observation of the medical condition information. As an example, in the veterinarian terminal  16  of the present embodiment, in a case where the display of the medical condition information is to be terminated, the veterinarian V gives an instruction for terminating the display through the input unit  56 . 
     In the next step S 624 , a negative determination is made until the progress observation unit  94  detects that the veterinarian V has instructed the display to be terminated. On the other hand, in a case where the progress observation unit  94  detects that the veterinarian V has instructed to terminate the display, the determination in step S 624  is affirmative, and the progress observing process is terminated. 
     Further, in this embodiment, as the CPU  50  of the veterinarian terminal  16  executes the medical examination request program  53 B, the medical examination requesting process shown in  FIG. 19  is executed. As an example, in the medical examination requesting process of this embodiment shown in  FIG. 19 , as described above, in a case where the veterinarian terminal  16  receives a medical examination request (see  FIG. 11 , step S 134 ) transmitted from the medical care support device  10  through the network N, the medical examination requesting process shown in  FIG. 19  is executed. 
     In step S 650  of  FIG. 19 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  displays the received medical examination request on the display unit  54 . A method for displaying the medical examination request by the medical examination instruction unit  92  is not particularly limited. For example, the medical examination instruction unit  92  may display a message indicating the medical examination request on the display unit  44  that is a liquid crystal display of the veterinarian terminal  16 , or may display a message indicating the medical examination request as sound. As an example, in a case where the veterinarian V wants to confirm the medical examination request from the medical examination instruction unit  92 , the veterinarian V gives an instruction for confirming the medical examination request through the input unit  56 . 
     The medical examination instruction unit  92  makes a negative determination in step S 652  until the instruction for confirming the medical examination request from the veterinarian V is input through the input unit  56 . On the other hand, in a case where the instruction for confirming the medical examination request from the veterinarian V is input through the input unit  56 , the determination in step S 652  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 654 . In step S 654 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  acquires the medical condition information corresponding to the pet ID for which medical examination is requested from the accumulated medical condition information  36  in the information storage unit  12  through the network N. 
     In the next step S 656 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  displays the acquired medical condition information on the display unit  54 . The veterinarian V confirms a history of the medical condition information of the pet P displayed on the display unit  54 , that is, the medical condition information. Further, the veterinarian V confirms whether or not a sudden change or the like occurs in the medical condition of the pet P, and confirms whether or not it is necessary to visit the hospital (or to see the doctor) without waiting for an appointment date for the next visit. Further, in a case where the veterinarian V determines that the visit is necessary, the veterinarian V gives an instruction indicating that the visit is necessary through the input unit  56 . 
     In the next step S 658 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  determines whether or not the instruction indicating that the visit is necessary is input by the veterinarian V through the input unit  56 . In a case where the instruction indicating that the visit is necessary is not input by the veterinarian V through the input unit  56 , the determination in step S 658  is negative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 662 . On the other hand, in a case where the instruction indicating that the visit is necessary is necessary is not input by the veterinarian V through the input unit  56 , the determination in step S 658  is affirmative, and the procedure proceeds to step S 660 . 
     In step S 660 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  transmits a message for requesting a predetermined visit to the owner terminal  14  of the owner U corresponding to the pet P. 
     In the next step S 662 , the medical examination instruction unit  92  determines whether or not to terminate the medical examination requesting process. As an example, in the veterinarian terminal  16  according to the present embodiment, the veterinarian V gives an instruction for terminating the confirmation through the input unit  56  in a case where the confirmation of the medical condition information is terminated. Until the medical examination instruction unit  92  detects that the veterinarian V gives the instruction for terminating the confirmation, the determination in step S 662  is negative, and the procedure returns to step S 658 , and then, the processes of steps S 658  and S 660  are repeated. On the other hand, in a case where the medical examination instruction unit  92  detects that the veterinarian V has given the instruction for terminating the confirmation, the determination in step S 662  is affirmative, and the medical examination requesting process is terminated. 
     As described above, the medical care support device  10  according to the present embodiment includes the output unit  60  that outputs a format which is support information for supporting acquisition, by the owner U of the pet P, of medical condition information indicating a medical condition of the disease from which the pet P suffers, and the acquiring unit  62  that acquires the medical condition information acquired by the owner U on the basis of the format. 
     Thus, in the medical care support device  10  of the present embodiment, it is possible to acquire the medical condition information acquired by the owner U according to the format output from the medical care support device  10 . Particularly, even in a case where it is difficult for the pet P itself to send the medical condition information as information necessary for medical care of the disease to the owner U or the veterinarian V, it is possible to appropriately acquire the medical condition information according to the disease. 
     Accordingly, according to the medical care support device  10  of the present embodiment, the veterinarian V can use the acquired medical condition information for medical care. For example, the veterinarian V can acquire the medical condition information for a period until the next visit after the pet P visits the animal hospital. In order to obtain the medical condition information continuously during the period until the hospital visit, for example, the veterinarian V can determine whether there is simply no change even in a case where there is no change in the medical condition of the pet P between the previous visit and the current visit, or the medical condition is recovered after the medical condition gets worse after the visit. Accordingly, according to the medical care support device  10  of the present embodiment, it is possible to improve efficiency of medical care. 
     In this embodiment, a configuration in which the medical care support system  1  corresponds to one owner terminal  14  has been described, but a configuration in which the medical care support system  1  manages a plurality of owner terminals  14  may be used. Further, for example, a configuration in which the medical care support system  1  corresponds to a plurality of veterinarian terminals  16  and further veterinarian terminals  16  of a plurality of animal hospitals and supports diagnosis of a pet P that is a patient in a plurality of hospitals may be used. As the information storage unit  12  accumulates the medical condition information of the pet P in the plurality of animal hospitals as the accumulated medical condition information  36 , for example, even in a case where a home hospital of the pet P is replaced, it is possible to use the accumulated medical condition information, and thus, it is possible to further improve efficiency of medical care by the veterinarian V. 
     Further, in this embodiment, a configuration in which a part of the functions of the medical care support device  10 , for example, at least a part of the functions of the output unit  60 , the acquiring unit  62 , and the request unit  64  are provided in another device such as the owner terminal  14 , instead of or together with the medical care support device  10  may be used. Further, for example, the information storage unit  12  may be provided in the medical care support device  10 . Furthermore, for example, a configuration in which a part or all of the identification information/disease name correspondence information  30 , the disease name/medical condition information name correspondence information  32 , the format information  34 , and the accumulated disease information  36  stored in the information storage unit  12  are stored in another device may be used. 
     Further, in this embodiment, a configuration in which the medical care support system  1  supports the medical care of the pet P has been described, but the invention may be applied to a configuration in which the medical care support system  1  (medical care support device  10 ) supports, for example, human medical care other than the pet P. Even in a case where the pet P is a human being, it is possible to improve efficiency of medical care in the same manner as described above, and in particular, to improve efficiency of medical care for infants who are not good at expressing their medical conditions (symptoms). 
     Further, in the above embodiment, various processes executed as the CPU executes software (programs) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. In this case, as the processors, a programmable logic device (PLD) of which a circuit configuration is changeable after manufacturing, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a dedicated electric circuit that is a processor having a circuit configuration that is exclusively designed to execute a specific process, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and the like are exemplified. Further, the various processes may be executed by one of the various processors, or may be executed by combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, combination of a plurality of FPGAs or combination of a CPU and an FPGA). In addition, a hardware structure of the various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit in which circuit elements such as semiconductor elements are combined. 
     Further, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the support program  23  is stored (installed) in the storage unit  22  in advance, the medical condition information acquiring program  43  is stored in the storage unit  42  in advance, and the progress observation program  53 A and the medical examination request program  53 B are stored in the storage unit  52  in advance has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. Each of the support program  23 , the medical condition information acquiring program  43 , the progress observation program  53 A, and the medical examination request program  53 B may be provided in a state of being recorded in a recording medium such as a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read only memory (DVD-ROM), or a universal serial bus (USB) memory. Further, each of the support program  23 , the medical condition information acquiring program  43 , the progress observation program  53 A, and the medical examination request program  53 B may be downloaded from an external device through a network. 
     According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the medical care support device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a correspondence relationship between a type of the disease and the medical condition information to be acquired is determined in advance, and the processor outputs the support information for supporting the acquisition of the medical condition information depending on the type of the disease, on the basis of the correspondence relationship. 
     According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the medical care support device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the processor outputs medical condition information selected from medical condition information that is not associated with the type of the disease in the correspondence. 
     According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the medical care support device according to any one aspect of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, the medical condition information includes at least one of information related to an appearance of the pet, information related to a behavior of the pet, or information related to excrement. 
     According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the medical care support device according to any one aspect of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, the medical condition information includes at least one of an image of a whole body, an image of an affected portion, an image of excrement, a cry, a color of excrement, an odor of excrement, or medication information. 
     According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the medical care support device according to any one aspect of the first to fifth aspects of the present disclosure, the support information includes at least one of a method for acquiring the medical condition information or a timing at which the medical condition information is acquired. 
     According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in the medical care support device according to any one aspect of the first to sixth aspects of the present disclosure the processor requests a veterinarian for medical care at a predetermined timing based on at least one of the disease or the medical condition information. 
     According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises includes a memory that stores a command for execution of a computer and a processor configured to execute the stored command, in which the processor outputs support information for supporting acquisition, by an owner of a pet, of medical condition information indicating a medical condition of a disease from which the pet suffers and acquires information of the pet acquired by the owner on the basis of the support information. 
     According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve efficiency of medical care.