Decision-support application and system for medical differential-diagnosis and treatment using a question-answering system

A system comprising:

• a first tangible repository maintaining patient case information regarding a patient;
• a computer processor operatively connected to said first tangible repository and having access to evidence sources containing medical domain knowledge;
• and
• a second tangible repository operatively connected to said computer processor,
• said computer processor receiving said patient case information from said first tangible repository,
• said computer processor analyzing said patient case information to identify semantic concepts by recognizing phrases in said patient case information logically related to medical concepts, and generating a query by automatically supplying said semantic concepts to blank slots in a query template to generate said query, said query comprising a medical question,
• said computer processor generating answers to said query by applying natural language processing techniques to match said query to passages of said medical domain knowledge within said evidence sources, said evidence sources comprising information in unstructured form,
• said computer processor calculating numerical values of evidence dimensions for each of said answers by assigning different numerical values to each of said answers based on the correctness of each of said answers for different semantic concepts,
• said computer processor calculating corresponding confidence values for said answers by combining said numerical values of said evidence dimensions as calculated for said answer,
• said computer processor outputting, to a decision-maker for said patient, said query, said answers, said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers, and said corresponding confidence values for said answers so that said answers, said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers, and said corresponding confidence values for said answers are usable by said decision-maker to make a decision regarding said patient,
• said computer processor further storing, in said second tangible repository, said answers, said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers, and said corresponding confidence values for said answers,
• said computer processor further, in response to new medical domain knowledge being added to said evidence sources, automatically repeating said generating of said answers to said query, said calculating of said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers and said calculating of said corresponding confidence values for said answers in order to determine whether previously generated answers and corresponding confidence values stored in said second tangible repository would change based on said new medical domain knowledge, and
• said computer processor automatically sending an alert to said decision-maker based on a change occurring in any of said previously generated answers and corresponding confidence values, said alert being usable by said decision-maker to re-evaluate said decision.

A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable storage device storing computer readable program code comprising instructions executable by a computerized device, said computerized device having access to evidence sources containing medical domain knowledge and said computer program code comprising:

• an input/output module receiving patient case information regarding a patient;
• a patient case analysis module analyzing said patient case information to identify semantic concepts by recognizing phrases in said patient case information logically related to medical concepts;
• a question generation module generating a query by automatically supplying said semantic concepts to blank slots in a query template to generate said query, said query comprising a medical question;
• and
• a question-answering module generating answers to said query by applying natural language processing techniques to match said query to passages of said medical domain knowledge within said evidence sources, said evidence sources comprising information in unstructured form,
• said question-answering module calculating numerical values of evidence dimensions for each of said answers by assigning different numerical values to each of said answers based on the correctness of each of said answers for different semantic concepts,
• said question-answering module calculating corresponding confidence values for said answers by combining said numerical values of said evidence dimensions as calculated for said answer,
• said input/output module outputting, to a decision-maker for said patient, said query, said answers, said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers, and said corresponding confidence values for said answers so that said answers, said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers, and said corresponding confidence values for said answers are usable by said decision-maker to make a decision regarding said patient,
• said input/output module further storing, said answers, said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers and said corresponding confidence values for said answers in a tangible repository,
• said question-answering module further, in response to new medical domain knowledge being added to said evidence sources, automatically repeating said generating of said answers, said calculating of said numerical values of said evidence dimensions for each of said answers and said calculating of said corresponding confidence values for said answers to determine whether previously generated answers and corresponding confidence values stored in said tangible repository would change based on said new medical domain knowledge, and
• said input/output module automatically sending an alert to said decision-maker based on a change occurring in any of said previously generated answers and corresponding confidence, said alert being usable by said decision-maker to re-evaluate said decision.