ONTOLOGY-BASED KNOWLEDGE MODEL FOR AN ACS MANAGEMENT CLINICAL GUIDELINE: HANDLING KNOWLEDGE UPDATES AND INSTITUTIONAL PRIORITIES

Abstract

Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in an emergency department setting is challenging due to the complexity of the disease and the multi-disciplinary care environment, leading to the need for standardized protocols to ensure patient safety and care quality. Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for ACS are prevalent but they are not directly applicable in the ED setting due to their complex narrative nature. In this thesis we present a knowledge modeling solution, using semantic web technologies, to computerize the ACS CPG published by the American Heart Association. Our knowledge modeling approach provides a modular characterization of the CPG knowledge and offers unique mechanisms to (a) update the knowledge model in response to periodic CPG updates; and (b) streamline the ACS management clinical pathway in response to resource constraints at an institution. The computerized CPG will serve as an ACS management decision support system, targeting tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia.