CONFLICTING RULE RESOLUTION SYSTEM

• US 20080275838A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steiner, David John, Secrist, Randy Kent, Randazzo, Michael Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

A method for identifying conflicting and duplicate rules in a decision support system is provided. The method includes establishing a first subsystem including a protocol of existing rules, each existing rule includes an input feature. The method also includes creating a new rule that includes an input feature, and comparing terminology in the input feature of the new rule against terminology in the input feature of each existing rule of the protocol using a second subsystem and determining whether the new rule and at least one existing rule from the protocol are similar.

Claims

1. A method for identifying conflicting and duplicate rules in a decision support system, said method comprising:

establishing a first subsystem comprising a protocol of existing rules, each existing rule comprises an input feature;

creating a new rule comprising an input feature and a health care treatment instruction; and

comparing terminology in the input feature of the new rule against terminology in the input feature of each existing rule of the protocol using a second subsystem and determining whether the new rule and at least one existing rule from the protocol are similar.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising comparing a new rule output against a similar existing rule output and determining whether the outputs are duplicate or conflicting.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least one of modifying the new rule, cancelling the new rule and deactivating the at least one existing rule that is similar to the new rule.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising notifying a decision support system user that the new rule is similar to at least one existing rule from the protocol and providing access to the at least one existing rule.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising verifying that the new rule and the at least one existing rule that is similar to the new rule treat a same medical condition.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising including an output feature in the new rule wherein the output feature is an outcome generated by the new rule.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising defining the outcome as at least one of a notification that a patient is not responding well to medication, a method of treatment, a suggested drug dosage and a notification that a patient is not to receive medications.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising inputting data into the decision support system to activate at least one existing rule of the protocol of rules.

9. A system for identifying conflicting and duplicate rules in a decision support system, said system comprising:

a first subsystem configured to comprise a protocol comprising at least one existing rule, said at least one existing rule comprises an input feature and a health care instruction;

a new rule comprising an input feature and a health care instruction; and

a second subsystem configured to identify and compare terminology in said new rule input feature against terminology in said at least one existing rule input feature and determine whether said new rule and said at least one existing rule are similar.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said system is configured to compare a new rule output against an at least one existing similar rule output to determine whether said outputs are duplicates or are conflicting.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said system is configured to cancel said new rule or deactivate said at least one existing rule that is similar to said new rule when said outputs conflict.

12. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said system is configured to notify a decision support system user that said new rule is similar to said at least one existing rule and provide said user access to said at least one existing rule.

13. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said system is configured to prompt a user to verify that said new rule and said at least one existing rule treat a same medical condition.

14. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said system is configured to activate said at least one existing rule using data input into said decision support system.

15. A system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said system is configured to generate an outcome for said new rule and said at least one existing rule comprising at least one of a notification that a patient is not responding well to medication, a method of treatment, a suggested drug dosage and a notification that a patient is not to received a medication.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system comprising a first subsystem and a second subsystem;

said first subsystem comprising a protocol comprising at least one existing rule, said at least one existing rule comprises an input feature and a health care instruction; and

said second subsystem configured to identify and compare terminology in a new rule against terminology in said at least one existing rule and determine whether said new rule is similar to said at least one existing rule.

17. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein a new rule output is compared against an output of an at least one existing rule similar to said new rule to determine whether said outputs are duplicate or are conflicting.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein when said outputs conflict said new rule is cancelled or said at least one existing rule that is similar to said new rule is deactivated.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein said at least one existing rule is activated by data input into said decision support system.

20. An apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein a user verifies that said new rule and said at least one existing rule similar to said new rule treat a same medical condition.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system comprising a first subsystem and a second subsystem wherein a new rule output is compared against an output of an at least one existing rule similar to a new rule to determine whether said outputs are duplicate or are conflicting.

22. An apparatus in accordance with claim 21 wherein when said outputs conflict said new rule is cancelled or said at least one existing rule that is similar to said new rule is deactivated.

23. An apparatus in accordance with claim 21 wherein said at least one existing rule is activated by data input into a decision support system.

24. An apparatus in accordance with claim 21 wherein a user verifies that said new rule and said at least one existing rule similar to said new rule treat a same medical condition.