Expert system for providing interactive assistance in solving problems such as health care management
First Claim
1. A computer system for use in medical case management comprising:
- a user interface selectively operable in a guided mode for experienced users and a structured mode for inexperienced users, said user interface enabling the input of information identifying a patient, a description of at least one medical condition of said patient and a proposed treatment for said medical condition;
a database for storing a topical library of medical information;
means for searching said topical library to identify medical information relevant to the medical condition and proposed treatment entered via said user interface;
means for enabling a user to access, via said user interface, medical information identified by said searching means to assist the user in assessing the appropriateness of said proposed treatment; and
an expert system including a rules database for supplementing the assistance provided by said searching means, said expert system being accessible by said user interface for providing a recommendation as to the appropriateness of said proposed treatment based on information entered via said user interface and rules recovered from said rules database;
said expert system facilitating the input of information via said user interface in said structured mode by dynamically generating questions in response to previous answers provided by the user to enable the expert system to make said recommendation; and
said expert system facilitating the input of information in said guided mode by providing a predefined questionnaire enabling the user to decide which questions to answer to obtain said recommendation.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A problem solving expert system is provided which is particularly useful in managing the health care of individual patients. A description of a problem (e.g., medical condition) and a proposed solution therefor (e.g., medical procedure) is entered via a user interface. A topical library is searched to identify information relevant to the problem and proposed solution. Access to the identified information is available in either a full text or synopsis format, to assist a user in assessing the appropriateness of the proposed solution. An inference engine provides a recommendation to the user as to the appropriateness of the proposed solution based on information entered via the user interface and rules associated with the inference engine. A user can interact with the inference engine in either a structured or guided mode. The structured mode is directed to inexperienced users and dynamically generates questions in response to previous answers provided by the user to enable the inference engine to make its recommendation. The guided mode is directed to experienced users and provides a predefined questionnaire enabling the user to decide which questions to answer in order to obtain a recommendation.
682 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computer system for use in medical case management comprising:
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a user interface selectively operable in a guided mode for experienced users and a structured mode for inexperienced users, said user interface enabling the input of information identifying a patient, a description of at least one medical condition of said patient and a proposed treatment for said medical condition; a database for storing a topical library of medical information; means for searching said topical library to identify medical information relevant to the medical condition and proposed treatment entered via said user interface; means for enabling a user to access, via said user interface, medical information identified by said searching means to assist the user in assessing the appropriateness of said proposed treatment; and an expert system including a rules database for supplementing the assistance provided by said searching means, said expert system being accessible by said user interface for providing a recommendation as to the appropriateness of said proposed treatment based on information entered via said user interface and rules recovered from said rules database; said expert system facilitating the input of information via said user interface in said structured mode by dynamically generating questions in response to previous answers provided by the user to enable the expert system to make said recommendation; and said expert system facilitating the input of information in said guided mode by providing a predefined questionnaire enabling the user to decide which questions to answer to obtain said recommendation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer system for use in medical case management comprising:
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a user interface for enabling the input of information identifying a patient, a description of at least one medical condition of said patient and a proposed treatment for said medical condition; a database for storing a topical library of medical information; means for searching said topical library to identify medical information relevant to the medical condition and proposed treatment entered via said user interface; means for enabling a user to access, via said user interface, medical information identified by said searching means to assist the user in assessing the appropriateness of said proposed treatment; and an expert system including a rules database and being accessible by said user interface for providing recommendations as to the appropriateness of said proposed treatment and as to whether said proposed treatment should be certified for coverage by an insurer, based on information entered via said user interface and rules recovered from said rules database. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification