Descriptive Review of Patents in Healthcare and Nursing: Based on Network Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: The significance of the healthcare industry has grown exponentially in recent years due to the impact of the fourth industrial revolution and the ongoing pandemic. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine domestic healthcare-related patents comprehensively. Big data analysis was used to present the trend and status of patents filed in nursing. Methods: The descriptive review was conducted based on Grant and Booth's descriptive review framework. Patents related to nursing was searched in the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Infor-mation Service between January 2016 to December 2020. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, phi-coefficient for correlations, and network analysis using the R program (version 4.2.2). Results: Among 37,824 patents initially searched, 1,574 were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Nursing-related patents did not specify subjects, and many patents (41.4%) were related to treatment in the healthcare delivery phase. Furthermore, most patents (56.1%) were designed to increase effectiveness. The words frequently used in the titles of nursing-related patents were, in order, "artificial intelligence," "health management," and "medical information," and the main terms with high connection centrality were "artificial intelligence" and "therapeutic system." Conclusion: The industrialization of nursing is the best solution for developing the healthcare industry and national health promotion. Collaborations in education, research, and policy will help the nursing industry become a healthcare industry of the future. This will prime the enhancement of the national economy and public health