Computer architecture and process of patient generation, evolution, and simulation for computer based testing system using bayesian networks as a scripting language

• US 20050289092A1
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Board of Family Medicine, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Board Of Family Practice, Inc.
• Inventors: Hagen, Michael D., Sumner, Walton II
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

A method and system for patient generation and evolution for a computer-based testing system and/or expert system. One or more belief networks, which describe parallel health state networks are accessed by a user or a computer. A knowledge base, at least in part, is scripted from the one or more belief networks by the computer. A model patient at least in part, is instantiated by the computer from the scripted knowledge base. Optionally, the model patient is evolved by the computer in accordance with the parallel health state networks and responsive to a received course of action.

Claims

1. A method for educating or evaluating a user, comprising the steps of:

instantiating a virtual patient for display to the user, the virtual patient including a plurality of health states;

receiving from the user at least one of a query for a medical finding concerning the instantiated virtual patient and a course of action; and

at least one one of;

generating, responsive to the received query, a specific medical finding at least in part from a first network defining a health state reveal structure corresponding to the instantiated virtual patient;

generating, responsive to the received query, an indication of an inappropriate query, based, at least in part, on a second network defining a medical practice management plan; and

generating, responsive to the received course of action, an indication of an inappropriate course of action, based, at least in part, on the second network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the medical practice management plan includes healthcare provider approved medical finding queries.

3. A computer system for evaluating or educating a user, compromising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by said processor, said instructions including at least one of;

generating a virtual patient based, at least in part, responsive to a description of a plurality of parallel health state networks;

generating the virtual patient based, at least in part, responsive to a description of rates of progression within and/or between the plurality of parallel health state networks; and

generating patient test data concerning the virtual patient, based, at least in part, using reveal structures to display of the patient test data to patient test data.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein said computer system is communicatable with a user via a computer network.

5. A computer system for evaluating or educating a user, compromising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by said processor, said instructions including at least one of;

generating a virtual patient based, at least in part, based on a description of rates of progression within and/or between the plurality of parallel health state networks; and

generating patient test data concerning the virtual patient, based, at least in part, on reveal structures to display of the patient test data.

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein said computer system is communicatable with a user via a computer network.

7. A computer system for evaluating or educating a user, compromising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by said processor, said instructions including at least one of;

generating a virtual patient based, at least in part, on at least one of a plurality of parallel health state networks;

generating the virtual patient based, at least in part, on rates of progression within and/or between the at least one of the plurality of parallel health state networks; and

generating patient test data concerning the virtual patient, based, at least in part, on reveal structures.

8. A computer readable medium including instructions being executed by a computer, the instructions instructing the computer to execute an educational or testing system for physicians, the instructions including:

(a) accessing at least one representation, which describes at least one of a plurality of parallel health state networks;

(b) scripting a knowledge base, at least in part, from the at least one representation; and

(c) instantiating a model patient, at least in part, from the scripted knowledge base.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of parallel health state networks describe at least one of a plurality of primary networks defining disease evolutions, a plurality of secondary networks defining risk factors affecting progression through a primary network of the plurality of primary networks, and a plurality of tertiary networks defining at least one of causal probabilistic medical complications attributed to at least one stage in the primary network and medical complications attributed to management of the at least one stage.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(d) accessing at least one second representation, which describes rates of progression within and/or between the plurality of parallel health state networks, and describes task factors that affect the rates of progression.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(e) accessing at least one third representation, which supports reveal structures to limit display of patient test data to patient test data specifically requested by the user.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(f) accessing at least one fourth representation which supports plan critiques of queries of and treatment prescribed by the user.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the scripting step (b) includes scripting the knowledge base, at least in part, from the at least one second representation.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(g) receiving one of a course of action and a query for a specific medical finding concerning the model patient from the user responsive to the instantiated model patient; and

(h) displaying, if the query is received, the specific medical finding to the user based at least in part on the at least one third representation, and repeating the step (g).

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(i) evolving the model patient in accordance with the plurality of parallel health state networks and responsive to the received course of action.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(j) repeating the steps (g) through (i) until the user has completed treatment of the model patient.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein instructions further comprise:

(k) generating a combination of treatment and queries based on the at least one fourth representation and the instantiated model patient; and

(l) evaluating the query and the treatment by the user in comparison to the generated optimum combination of treatment and queries.

18. A system for educating or evaluating a user comprising:

a model patient generator including a knowledge base scripted from at least one of at least one first network, which describes a plurality of parallel health state networks, and at least one second network, which describes at least one rate of progression within and/or between said plurality of parallel health state networks, and which describes at least one task factor that affects the at least one rate of progression.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said patient generator instantiating, upon user input, a model patient in a whiteboard, at least in part, from said scripted knowledge base.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said patient generator receives one of a course of action and a query for a specific medical finding concerning the model patient from the user responsive to the instantiated model patient, the whiteboard displaying, if the query is received, the specific medical finding to the user based, at least in part, on at least one third belief network, which describes at least one patient health state reveal structure, the whiteboard evolving the model patient in accordance with the plurality of parallel health state networks and responsive to the received course of action.

21. A knowledge base module for an educational or testing system or an expert system, comprising at least one of:

at least one first network, which describes each parallel health state network of a plurality of parallel health state networks;

at least one second network, which describes at least one rate of progression within and/or between said plurality of parallel health state networks, and which describes at least one task factor that affects the at least one rate of progression; and

at least one third network, which describes plan critiques including peer-accepted courses of action for addressing said plurality of parallel health state networks.