Semantic Web Based System for Stroke Clinical Pathways Automation

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Stroke is considered the second leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization.It is also a leading cause of severe and long-term disabilities, including paralysis, sensory disturbances,problems with memory and thinking, and emotional disturbances. It is worth mentioning that strokes due toCarotid Artery Disease (CAD) tend to cause the most disability among all other types of strokes. A study bythe Canadian Stroke Congress showed that the financial cost of stroke management on Canada's health caresystem amounts to a total of about $2.5 billion per year of Canadian's tax dollar. Given these facts, Qwantech isinvesting in software technology that allows computerization of CAD clinical pathways. Clinical Pathways(CPs) are health care plans or charts that detail the essential steps in the care of patients with a specific disease,describe the expected progress of the patient, and decrease the occurrence of any undesired variability ofmedical practice. At present, most CPs are paper-based and there is a need to address the challenge ofautomating them in order to enhance healthcare efficiency and quality. In particular, Qwantech is investigatingsoftware technology that can help combine CAD clinical pathways with medical information systems used inthe workplace.In this research, we will assist Qwantech to apply state of the art Semantic Web technology to deploy clinicalpathways on existing Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems. Ontology will be used to model CAD CPdomain terms, and Semantic Web Rule language will be used to model CAD domain inference rules. In thismodel, the CP could reason over the collected rules and knowledge, and provide automated medical guidanceand error checking during the diagnosis and management of CAD. The algorithms to be developed in thisresearch will allow Qwantech develop software that enable better collaboration and clinical knowledge sharingamongst members of caregiver team. Such technology will also ensure better productivity and reduce costs.