Winkel(ID:6687/win002)

Language for automated time-dependent decision-making during patient monitoring

References:
  • Winkel P. "A programming language and a system for automated time- and laboratory test level dependent decision-making during patient monitoring" Comput Biomed Res. 1990 Oct;23(5):426-46 view details Abstract: A programming language specifically designed for automated time-dependent decision-making during patient monitoring (obtaining test requests, scheduling of test requests, cancelling of test requests, the issuing of messages to clinician or laboratory) has been developed. The output from a program written in this language is a set of decision rules in tabular form (a patient type), intended to solve a specific problem related to patient monitoring. A system for automated decision-making based on this language utilizes a file of patient types and a patient file. Whenever a new patient record is created, the patient's type is defined and the corresponding patient type is copied from the patient type file and linked to the patient's record. The system is activated, i.e., the decision rules are implemented and the tables of the patient's type updated, when laboratory results are available, when a clinician wants to order tests, and at regular user-defined intervals.
  • Winkel P, Ravn HN "Automated laboratory protocols" Comput Methods Programs Biomed. 1996 Jan;49(1):69-83 view details Abstract: A protocol is a program which controls, monitors and modifies the requests for laboratory services during the diagnostic work-up and/or monitoring of a patient. A protocol language and an OS/2 based system for the compilation, interpretation and execution of laboratory protocols written in this language is presented. The system is easily interfaced with any patient data base that supports the structured query language (SQL). A compiled protocol may be assigned to a patient and executed as specified in the protocol itself (regularly and/or when certain events such as test requests or arrival of results, occur). In the laboratory protocol language a patient's data are viewed as a set of test procedure groups each comprising data (request time, result, etc.) describing the status of one or more simultaneously made laboratory test requests. A pattern specification is a statement saying that a sequence of test procedure groups of specified types and ages is present in the data. Pattern specifications are linked to Boolean variables. If a pattern matching a pattern specification is found in the patient's database the corresponding Boolean variable is set equal to TRUE. The Boolean variables are utilized in the decision logic of the protocol.