Using several hand-held devices, we have developed software that can provide decision support and workflow support for clinicians in various specialties. Creation of effective human-computer interfaces is challenging. A current project is evaluating the effectiveness of PDAs for support of national guidelines, with an initial focus on childhood asthma. MD A longstanding research activity has involved the development of programs which bring computer-based advice to the practicing clinician. A related emphasis has been on computer-based knowledge processing for a spectrum of clinical practice guidelines.
Guidelines can serve as valuable knowledge sources for systems that assist clinical decision-making.
This project explores the acquisition and representation of guideline knowledge as rule sets. Previous activities have focused on defining methods for translation of guideline prose and flowcharts into rule sets, logical verification of rule sets, and simplification of comprehensive rule bases. MD The YCMI is involved in a number of projects involving childhood immunization. We have developed several computer-based tools to help test and validate modifications to the knowledge in such a system as the clinical field inevitably evolves. In addition, we are working on a project supported by the Centers for Disease Control to explore the deduplication and data cleaning of immunization registry records.