Patent ID: 8244733

Claim:
A method for indexing a plurality of nodes using a computer system, the computer system including data storage and a processor coupled to the data storage, the method comprising: storing the plurality of nodes in the data storage, each of the plurality of nodes having a hit count, a link count and an outcome, the hit count of each node indicating a number of times a case attribute associated with the node is presented to a user, the link count of each node indicating a number of times the case attribute associated with the node is affirmed as useful, the outcome of each node indicating a desirability of the outcome; creating a qualitative index ordering a plurality of nodes according to the hit count, the link count and the outcome of each node; creating a semantic index ordering the plurality of nodes according to a diagnosis-related group associated with each node; creating a quantitative index ordering the plurality of nodes according to a plurality of patient data values associated with each node; creating an ontological index ordering the plurality of nodes according to at least one clinical term taxonomy; creating a temporal index ordering the plurality of nodes according to a time period associated with each node; creating a temporal-ontological index ordering the plurality of nodes according to a time period associated with each node and the at least one clinical term taxonomy; and storing the qualitative index in the data storage.