City Research Online

A Task-based Support Architecture for Developing Point-of-care Clinical Decision Support Systems for the Emergency Department

Wilk, S., Michalowski, W., O'Sullivan, D. , Farion, K., Sayyad-Shirabad, J., Kuziemsky, C. & Kukawka, B. (2013). A Task-based Support Architecture for Developing Point-of-care Clinical Decision Support Systems for the Emergency Department. Methods of Information in Medicine, 52(01), pp. 18-32. doi: 10.3414/me11-01-0099

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to create a task-based support architecture for developing clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) that assist physicians in making decisions at the point-of-care in the emergency department (ED). The backbone of the proposed architecture was established by a task-based emergency workflow model for a patient-physician encounter.

Methods: The architecture was designed according to an agent-oriented paradigm. Specifically, we used the O-MaSE (Organization-based Multi-agent System Engineering) method that allows for iterative translation of functional requirements into architectural components (e.g., agents). The agent-oriented paradigm was extended with ontology-driven design to implement ontological models representing knowledge required by specific agents to operate.

Results: The task-based architecture allows for the creation of a CDSS that is aligned with the task-based emergency workflow model. It facilitates decoupling of executable components (agents) from embedded domain knowledge (ontological models), thus supporting their interoperability, sharing, and reuse. The generic architecture was implemented as a pilot system, MET3-AE – a CDSS to help with the management of pediatric asthma exacerbation in the ED. The system was evaluated in a hospital ED.

Conclusions: The architecture allows for the creation of a CDSS that integrates support for all tasks from the task-based emergency workflow model, and interacts with hospital information systems. Proposed architecture also allows for reusing and sharing system components and knowledge across disease-specific CDSSs.

Publication Type: Article
Additional Information: This article is not an exact copy of the original published article in Methods of Information in Medicine . The definitive publisher-authenticated version of Wilk, S, Michalowski, W, O'Sullivan, D, Farion, K, Sayyad-Shirabad, J, Kuziemsky, C & Kukawka, B (2013). A Task-based Support Architecture for Developing Point-of-care Clinical Decision Support Systems for the Emergency Department. METHODS OF INFORMATION IN MEDICINE, 52(1), pp. 18-32 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3414/ME11-01-0099
Publisher Keywords: decision support system, clinical; point-of-care; system architecture; agent-oriented paradigm; ontology-driven design
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Departments: School of Science & Technology > Computer Science
SWORD Depositor:
[thumbnail of MIM-MET3-MAS.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Accepted Version
Download (597kB) | Preview

Export

Add to AnyAdd to TwitterAdd to FacebookAdd to LinkedinAdd to PinterestAdd to Email

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics

Actions (login required)

Admin Login Admin Login