Conflicting rule resolution system

• US 8,170,972 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Randazzo, Michael Thomas, Secrist, Randy Kent, Steiner, David John
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivas, Omar Fernandez
• Application Number:
  US11/743,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 706/8, 706/21, 706 45- 48, 706/52, 706/59, 706/62, 706/924, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 706/47
• 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, wherein the input feature of the new rule is not identical to the input feature of any of the existing rules;

comparing terminology in the input feature of the new rule with terminology in the input feature of each existing rule of the protocol using a second subsystem;

determining that the new rule and at least one existing rule from the protocol are similar as a function of said comparison, wherein determining further comprises passing sample input data through the new rule and the at least one existing rule to determine a respective output of each rule and comparing the output of each rule to determine a duplicate or conflicting output for the same input data;

notifying a user that the new rule and the at least one existing rule are similar; and

prompting the user to resolve the similarity, wherein the user is given an option to cancel the new rule.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising comparing an output of the new rule to an output of the at least one existing rule and determining whether the outputs are duplicate or conflicting.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the user is also prompted to modify the new rule or deactivate the at least one existing rule.

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

5. 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.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 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.

7. 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.

8. 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 second subsystem configured to;

compare terminology in an input feature of a new rule with terminology in said input feature of said at least one existing rule;

determine that said new rule and said at least one existing rule are similar as a function of the comparison, wherein determining further comprises passing sample input data through the new rule and the at least one existing rule to determine a respective output of each rule and comparing the output of each rule to determine a duplicate or conflicting output for the same input data;

notify a user that said new rule and said at least one existing rule are similar; and

prompt the user to resolve the similarity, wherein the user is given an option to cancel said new rule.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system is configured to compare an output of said new rule to an output of said at least one existing rule to determine whether said outputs are duplicates or are conflicting.

10. A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system is configured to prompt a user to verify that said new rule and said at least one existing rule treat the same medical condition.

11. A system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said system is configured to activate said at least one existing rule using data input into said decision support system.

12. A system in accordance with claim 8 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 receive a medication.

13. 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;

compare terminology in a new rule with terminology in said at least one existing rule, wherein the terminology in said new rule is not identical to the terminology in said at least one existing rule;

determine that said new rule is similar to said at least one existing rule as a function of the comparison, wherein determining further comprises passing sample input data through the new rule and the at least one existing rule to determine a respective output of each rule and comparing the output of each rule to determine a duplicate or conflicting output for the same input data;

notify a user that said new rule and said at least one existing rule are similar; and

prompt the user to resolve the similarity, wherein the user is given an option to cancel said new rule.

14. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein an output of said new rule is compared to an output of said at least one existing rule to determine whether said outputs are duplicate or are conflicting.

15. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein said at least one existing rule is activated by data input into said decision support system.

16. An apparatus in accordance with claim 13 wherein the user verifies that said new rule and said at least one existing rule treat the same medical condition.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system comprising a first subsystem comprising a protocol comprising at least one existing rule and a second subsystem configured to;

compare an output of said at least one existing rule to an output of a new rule similar to said at least one existing rule;

determine whether said outputs are duplicate or are conflicting, wherein determining further comprises passing sample input data through the new rule and the at least one existing rule to determine a respective output of each rule and comparing the output of each rule to determine a duplicate or conflicting output for the same input data;

notify a user that said new rule and said at least one existing rule are similar; and

prompt the user to resolve the similarity, wherein the user is given an option to cancel said new rule.

18. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein said at least one existing rule is activated by data input into a decision support system.

19. An apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein the user verifies that said new rule and said at least one existing rule treat the same medical condition.