Patent ID: 8694333
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: G06Q,G16H

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method of deriving a medical diagnosis for a patient, the computer implemented method comprising: a processor receiving a current description of a patient, wherein the current description comprises a current medical complaint of the patient, a medical history of the patient, a current lab test result for the patient, a current physical examination result for the patient, a demographic description of the patient, a travel history of the patient, and an unrelated trauma suffered by the patient but which is unattributable to the current medical complaint of the patient; the processor defining a cohort for the patient, wherein the cohort comprises persons who have a same medical complaint, lab test result, physical examination result, demographic description, unrelated trauma, and travel history as the patient; the processor retrieving past accurate medical diagnoses for persons in the cohort; the processor presenting a plurality of possible medical diagnoses for the patient, wherein the plurality of possible medical diagnoses for the patient is taken from the past accurate medical diagnoses for persons in the cohort; the processor identifying a most likely diagnosis for the patient from the plurality of possible medical diagnoses, wherein the most likely diagnosis has a first probability of a first unacceptable outcome if improperly treated; the processor identifying a second most likely diagnosis for the patient from the plurality of possible medical diagnoses, wherein the second most likely diagnosis has a second probability of a second unacceptable outcome if improperly treated, and wherein the second probability is greater than the first probability; the processor directing additional tests on the patient until the second most likely diagnosis is either eliminated as a candidate diagnosis for the patient or a predetermined event occurs, wherein the predetermined event includes at least one of a group consisting of: an expiration of a length of time to perform the additional tests, a number of additional tests exceeding a threshold, and a cost of additional tests exceeding a threshold; and in response to the predetermined event occurring, the processor directing additional tests on the patient until the most likely diagnosis is eliminated.