A system for nutritional consulting using quick questionnaires on diet and unidentified complaints

The aging of society and ongoing health care cost-control policy set the trend for the self-medication which leads to the growing interest in health promotion and prolongation of healthy life expectancy through self-health management. We developed a self-medication support system to provide comprehensive support to consumers at pharmacies and drug stores. This system facilitates the effective use of information and knowledge based on medicine and health. This self-medication support system comprised a set of two terminals connected network server in the data center: a user terminal for consumers use and an advisor terminals for specialized advisor, pharmacists, registered dieticians, and etc. This system enables specialized sales people to provide the appropriate advice based on the factors of consumer's problem, and to make suggestions for improving his/her lifestyle: eating habit, doing exercise, and having relaxation time. As a result of the trial use of this system at pharmacy stores, a certain degree of correlation between the results of a questionnaire on unidentified complaints and dietary patterns causing potential micronutrient deficiency was demonstrated.