Apparatus for and method of administering a decision procedure

Abstract

A computer system for performing an interactive assessment of the risk of an event, has a computer monitor to present to a user of the system a series of questions and potential responses, and a keyboard or other device to select a response to the question. The system can administer complex inverted tree type decision algorithms, in which the questions that are presented to the user, depend upon the response to the previous question, and an assessment of the risk of an event is presented to the user whenever they reach the terminus point in the decision tree. The risk assessment algorithm is data driven and a risk assessment is defined by entries in a file, which is available over a network. The system provides options so each user may view the path through the sequence of questions and answers, and interact with the risk assessment, in a manner customized for their own interactive session.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer system for performing a self administered interactive assessment of the risk of an event, comprising: 
 (a) a client program;    (b) a server program;    (c) a computer network;    (d) in which the client program can establish and terminate a connection over the computer network to the server program and send and receive data;    (e) in which the server program can establish and terminate a connection over the computer network to the client program and send and receive data.    
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the computer program on the client computer can communicate with the server computer by; 
 (a) opening a network connection with the server;    (b) requesting the definition of a risk assessment that is to be administered;    (c) receiving and storing the definition of the risk assessment to be administered;    (d) closing the network connection with the server.    
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the computer program on the server computer can communicate with the client computer by; 
 (a) responding to requests from the client program for the definition of a risk assessment by opening a connection with the client;    (b) sending the risk assessment definition to the client;    (c) closing the connection.    
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1  in which the risk evaluation definition defines; 
 (a) The type of risk that is being assessed;  
 (b) Each question in the risk assessment;  
 (c) The first question in the risk assessment;  
 (d) The set of responses associated with each question in the risk assessment;  
 (e) The action to be taken to a response to a question during the interactive risk, where the action is either the specification of the next question to be displayed, or that the risk assessment is completed;  
 (f) A means to assess risk based upon the responses to questions in the risk assessment.  
 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 2 , further comprising; 
 (a) means to select which risk assessment is to be administered;    (b) means to administer the selected risk assessment to a user of the system based on the information in the risk assessment definition.    
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 5  wherein the said means to administer the risk assessment includes; 
 (a) means to display the risk assessment questions, associated responses, and actions that may be taken;  
 (b) means for the user to select an action from the risk assessment display;  
 (c) means to update the risk assessment display based on the action that the user selects from the risk assessment display;  
 (d) means to evaluate the risk of an event based upon the users responses to the sequence of questions in the risk assessment;  
 (e) means for presenting the risk of an event to a user of the system.  
 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the said means to display the risk evaluation questions and answers further includes; 
 (a) computer monitor or other device to display the questions and associated responses;    (b) one or more display formats of the risk assessment;    (c) a current format for the display presentation format;    (d) means to display the risk assessment in the current display format.    
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the said display presentation further includes; 
 (a) a means to display the questions and associated responses in a risk assessment;    (b) a means to indicate the current question in the risk assessment;    (c) a means to display the path through the sequence of risk assessment questions and responses that led to the present question;    (d) a means to display the choice of actions that the use may take.    
     
     
         9 . A system of  claim 8 , wherein the display of the choice of actions that the user may take further includes; 
 (a) a means to choose at least one of the associated responses to the current question;    (b) a means to choose to move back to a prior question in the risk evaluation;    (c) a means to choose another display format;    (d) a means to choose customization options for the current display presentation format;    (e) a means to choose to restart the risk assessment.    
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the said means for the user to select an action includes; 
 (a) one or more of a computer keyboard, mouse, touchscreen or other device by which the user can select an action;    (b) means to select an answer to the set of associated responses to the current question;    (c) means to select a prior question in the risk evaluation;    (d) means to select another display presentation;    (e) means to select a customization option for the current display format presentation;    (f) means to select to restart the risk assessment.    
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the said means to update the risk assessment display based on the action that the user selects from the risk assessment display includes; 
 (a) means to update the risk assessment display presentation based on the selection of a response to the current question;    (b) means to update the risk assessment display with a new display presentation if the user chooses to change the format of the display presentations;    (c) means to assess the risk and display the results of the risk assessment if the user is at the end of the risk evaluation;    (d) means to re-display the risk assessment for the current question according to selected display format presentation customization options;    (e) means to restart the risk evaluation at the first question.    
     
     
         12 . A method for performing a self administered interactive assessment of the risk of an event, comprising: 
 (a) a client program;    (b) a server program;    (c) a computer network;    (d) in which the client program can establish and terminate a connection over the computer network to the server program and send and receive data;    (e) in which the server program can establish and terminate a connection over the computer network to the client program and send and receive data.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the computer program on the client computer can communicate with the server computer by; 
 (a) opening a network connection with the server;    (b) requesting the definition of a risk assessment that is to be administered;    (c) receiving and storing the definition of the risk assessment to be administered;    (d) closing the network connection with the server.    
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the computer program on the server computer can communicate with the client computer by; 
 (a) responding to requests from the client program for the definition of a risk assessment by opening a connection with the client;    (b) sending the risk assessment definition to the client;    (c) closing the connection.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 12  in which the risk evaluation definition defines; 
 (a) The type of risk that is being assessed;  
 (b) Each question in the risk assessment;  
 (c) The first question in the risk assessment;  
 (d) The set of responses associated with each question in the risk assessment;  
 (e) The action to be taken to a response to a question during the interactive risk, where the action is either the specification of the next question to be displayed, or that the risk assessment is completed;  
 (f) A means to assess risk based upon the responses to questions in the risk assessment.  
 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 13 , further comprising; 
 (a) means to select which risk assessment is to be administered;    (b) means to administer the selected risk assessment to a user of the system based on the information in the risk assessment definition.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the said means to administer the risk assessment includes; 
 (a) means to display the risk assessment questions, associated responses, and actions that may be taken;  
 (b) means for the user to select an action from the risk assessment display;  
 (c) means to update the risk assessment display based on the action that the user selects from the risk assessment display;  
 (d) means to evaluate the risk of an event based upon the users responses to the sequence of questions in the risk assessment;  
 (e) means for presenting the risk of an event to a user of the system.  
 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the said means to display the risk evaluation questions and answers further includes; 
 (a) computer monitor or other device to display the questions and associated responses;    (b) one or more display formats of the risk assessment;    (c) a current format for the display presentation format;    (d) means to display the risk assessment in the current display format.    
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the said display presentation further includes; 
 (a) a means to display the questions and associated responses in a risk assessment;    (b) a means to indicate the current question in the risk assessment;    (c) means to display the path through the sequence of risk assessment questions and responses that led to the present question;    (d) a means to display the choice of actions that the use may take.    
     
     
         20 . A method of  claim 19 , wherein the display of the choice of actions that the user may take further includes; 
 (a) a means to choose at least one of the associated responses to the current question;    (b) a means to choose to move back to a prior question in the risk evaluation;    (c) a means to choose another display format;    (d) a means to choose customization options for the current display presentation format;    (e) a means to choose to restart the risk assessment.    
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the said means for the user to select an action includes; 
 (a) one or more of a computer keyboard, mouse, touchscreen or other device by which the user can select an action;    (b) means to select an answer to the set of associated responses to the current question;    (c) means to select a prior question in the risk evaluation;    (d) means to select another display presentation;    (e) means to select a customization option for the current display format presentation;    (f) means to select to restart the risk assessment.    
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the said means to update the risk assessment display based on the action that the user selects from the risk assessment display includes; 
 (a) means to update the risk assessment display presentation based on the selection of a response to the current question;    (b) means to update the risk assessment display with a new display presentation if the user chooses to change the format of the display presentations;    (c) means to assess the risk and display the results of the risk assessment if the user is at the end of the risk evaluation;    (d) means to re-display the risk assessment for the current question according to selected display format presentation customization options;    (e) means to restart the risk evaluation at the first question.    
     
     
         23 . A method of displaying an interactive decision structure, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) controlling an amount of information regarding the decision structure that is to be visualized;    (b) receiving interactive responses corresponding to the decision structure visualized; and    (c) displaying at least a portion of the decision structure based on said controlling step (a) and the interactive responses received in said receiving step (b).    
     
     
         24 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 23 , the method further comprising the step of: 
 (d) highlighting a decision path through the decision structure based on the received interactive responses.    
     
     
         25 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the decision structure comprises a series of questions and potential responses associated with each question; 
 wherein said receiving step (b) comprises the step of allowing a user to input a response to a given question; and    wherein said displaying step (c) redraws the displayed portion of the decision structure based on the response input by the user.    
     
     
         26 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the decision structure comprises a predetermined sequence of questions, wherein individual questions are sequentially displayed as part of the decision structure after each interactive response received in said receiving step (b).  
     
     
         27 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the decision structure permits interactive responses to different questions to lead to the same subsequent question in the decision path.  
     
     
         28 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 25 , wherein the decision structure may be alternatively displayed in a text mode and a tree mode.  
     
     
         29 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 28 , wherein, when the decision structure is displayed in a text mode, a series of questions and associated responses are displayed in full text.  
     
     
         30 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 28 , wherein, when the decision structure is displayed in a tree mode, a series of question blocks representing questions are arranged in an inverted tree structure connected by lines representing associated responses to respective questions.  
     
     
         31 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 30 , wherein, in a tree mode, said controlling step (a) comprises the step of inputting preference data from a user to control the number of levels that are to be displayed above and below a current question block as the displayed portion of the decision structure; and 
 wherein the decision structure represents an assessment of a risk of an event occurring.    
     
     
         32 . The method of displaying as recited in  claim 24 , wherein said highlighting step (d) comprises: highlighting a border of a current question in the decision structure; and 
 displaying the decision path using heavy weighted lines relative to the remaining lines of the portion of the decision structure displayed.    
     
     
         33 . A computer system for administering a decision procedure, the computer system comprising: 
 a first computer having a monitor, wherein said first computer administers a decision procedure to a user; and    a second computer, wherein said second computer transfers to said first computer a decision procedure definition file that defines the decision procedure to be administered by the client program at said first computer;    wherein a program executed on said first computer comprises the steps of:    (i) visually displaying on the monitor at least a portion of the decision procedure as an inverted tree structure;    (ii) allowing the user to input responses to said first computer; and    (iii) updating the decision procedure to reflect the most recent response by the user.    
     
     
         34 . The computer system as recited in  claim 33 , further comprising a computer network, wherein both said first and second computers are coupled to said computer network, and wherein said second computer transfers the decision procedure definition file to said first computer over said computer network using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).  
     
     
         35 . The computer system as recited in  claim 34 , wherein a non-persistent connection is initiated between said first and second computers until the definition file is transferred to said first computer.  
     
     
         36 . The computer system as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the decision procedure is a self-administrated risk assessment based on a series of questions and responses to such questions.  
     
     
         37 . The computer system as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the risk assessment is a medical risk assessment for predicting whether a patient admitted to an emergency room with chest pain has a risk of presenting myocardial infarction.  
     
     
         38 . The computer system as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the definition file includes: 
 (a) a description of the risk that is being assessed;    (b) text of each question in the risk assessment;    (c) identification of the first question in said risk assessment;    (d) text of the allowable responses associated with each question; and    (e) action to be taken in response to a question during the risk assessment, wherein the action is either the specification of a subsequent question to be displayed or that the risk assessment is completed.    
     
     
         39 . The computer system as recited in  claim 33 , wherein said second computer is a network server comprising a mass storage device for storing a plurality of decision procedure definition files, and wherein said first computer is one of a plurality of client computers requesting a selected one of the plurality of decision procedure definition files stored in the mass storage device.  
     
     
         40 . A method of using a computer system to administer an assessment, wherein a user inputs a request to initiate administration of the assessment, a local search for an assessment definition file is made, an assessment definition file is retrieved from a remote location if the definition file is not found in the local search, administration of the assessment is begun with display of a question, receipt of user input response associated with the question, and display of a series of questions is made based on user input responses to a previous question until the series of questions terminates, and an assessment value is output associated with the termination of the series of questions.  
     
     
         41 . The method recited in claim  40 , wherein the administered assessment categorizes the user as belonging to a group based on the input responses received from the user during administration of the assessment.  
     
     
         42 . The method recited in claim  41 , wherein the administered assessment value indicates a risk of occurrence of an event associated with membership in the group.