Patent ID: 8172576

Claim:
A computing system for executing an executable clinical guideline for providing guidance in treating a patient, the computing system comprising: a guideline repository providing for storing a plurality of executable guidelines, wherein individual guidelines of the plurality of guidelines include at least one step selected from at least one of an executable step and a state step; at least one interface providing for enabling entry of patient data associated with at least one of a patient and the patient's treatment and a start point associated with a step of the at least one step of a guideline of the plurality of guidelines, wherein the start point is selectable regardless of the actual treatment provided to the patient and condition of the patient and the start point does not correspond to a first point of a first of the plurality of executable guidelines; and a decision support system providing for performing a simulation including processing the start point, accessing the guideline having the step associated with the start point, and executing at least the associated guideline including beginning execution at the start point, wherein the plurality of executable guidelines are computer readable and executable instructions that are automatically read and executed by the decision support system while performing the simulation without user interaction.