Dynamic decision tree system for clinical information acquisition

Abstract

A dynamic decision forest may be used to guide clinical or other decision queries such that multiple decision trees are followed in sequence and jumps occur between decision trees based on previously received query responses and the system's determination of what useful data has not been gathered. For example, rather than storing data concerning all possible paths between various decision trees, a system using the dynamic decision forest may determine at the time of use that a jump should occur from one decision tree to another decision tree despite the system not being pre-populated with data representative of a relationship between the source and destination of the jump. A clinical note may be created based on the path followed through the dynamic decision forest, and iterative verification may be used in order to improve the likelihood that the correct path is being followed.

1 . A method for generating a natural language clinical note, the method comprising:
 storing query data corresponding to a first plurality of clinical queries, each clinical query comprising a clinical inquiry and a plurality of associated response options;   providing, to a user, a first clinical query by transmitting data corresponding to both (1) said first clinical query's clinical inquiry and (2) at least some of said first clinical query's associated response options;   receiving first response data representative of said user's selection of one or more of said first clinical query's associated response options;   storing said first response data;   providing, to said user, a second clinical query by transmitting data corresponding to both (1) said second clinical query's clinical inquiry and (2) at least some of said second clinical query's associated response options, wherein said second clinical query is selected based at least in part on said first response data and said query data does not include any predefined relationship between said first clinical query and said second clinical query;   receiving second response data representative of said user's selection of one or more of said second clinical query's associated response options;   storing said second response data;   generating medical note data representative of said stored first response data and second response data, said medical note data in a natural language format; and   providing to said user said medical note data;   said method performed in its entirety by a computer system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, to said user, verification data representative of said first response data and said second response data; and   receiving, from said user, modification data indicative of said user's selection to change the selected one or more of said first clinical query's associated response options.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing said user with the ability to enter text corresponding to said medical note data; and   storing user text data representative of said text entered by said user.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing, to a user, a first clinical query comprises transmitting data corresponding to all of said first clinical query's associated response options. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing, to a user, a first clinical query comprises transmitting data corresponding to some, but not all, of said first clinical query's associated response options. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said data corresponding to both (1) said first clinical query's clinical inquiry and (2) at least some of said first clinical query's associated response options is formatted to be processed by a web browser. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said data corresponding to at least some of said first clinical query's associated response options is formatted for touch-based user interaction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said query data indicates a second plurality of clinical queries including some but not all of said first plurality of clinical queries, and wherein said second clinical query was selected based at least in part on its presence in said second plurality of clinical queries. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said query data is stored on a server and said first response data is received by the server from a client device used by said user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating diagnosis data characteristic of a clinical diagnosis, wherein said diagnosis data is based at least in part on said first response data and said second response data. 
     
     
         11 . A system for generating a natural language clinical note, the system comprising:
 a query data store configured to store query data corresponding to a first plurality of clinical queries, each clinical query comprising a clinical inquiry and a plurality of associated response options;   a query service configured to provide, to a user, a first clinical query by transmitting data corresponding to both (1) said first clinical query's clinical inquiry and (2) at least some of said first clinical query's associated response options, and a second clinical query by transmitting data corresponding to both (3) said second clinical query's clinical inquiry and (4) at least some of said second clinical query's associated response options;   a response service configured to receive first response data representative of said user's selection of one or more of said first clinical query's associated response options and second response data representative of said user's selection of one or more of said second clinical query's associated response options;   a response data store configured to store response data; and   a note service configured to generate medical note data representative of said stored first response data and second response data, said medical note data in a natural language format;   wherein said second clinical query was selected based at least in part on said first response data and said query data does not include any predefined relationship between said first clinical query and said second clinical query.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 providing, to said user, verification data representative of said first response data and said second response data; and   receiving, from said user, modification data indicative of said user's selection to change the selected one or more of said first clinical query's associated response options.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 providing said user with the ability to enter text corresponding to said medical note data; and   storing user text data representative of said text entered by said user.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said query service is configured to transmit data corresponding to all of said first clinical query's associated response options. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said query service is configured to transmit data corresponding to some, but not all, of said first clinical query's associated response options. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said data corresponding to both (1) said first clinical query's clinical inquiry and (2) at least some of said first clinical query's associated response options is formatted to be processed by a web browser. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said data corresponding to at least some of said first clinical query's associated response options is formatted for touch-based user interaction. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said query data indicates a second plurality of clinical queries including some but not all of said first plurality of clinical queries, and wherein said second clinical query was selected based at least in part on its presence in said second plurality of clinical queries. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said query data store is within a server and said response service is configured to receive response data at the server, from a client device used by said user. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a diagnosis service configured to generate data characteristic of a clinical diagnosis, wherein said diagnosis data is based at least in part on said first response data and said second response data. 
     
     
         21 . A method for using a dynamic decision forest to guide a dynamic decision process and gather associated decision data, the method comprising:
 storing decision forest data representative of a plurality of decision trees wherein each decision tree comprises a plurality of decision nodes and each decision node comprises a query and a plurality of possible responses;   storing possible decision path data for a plurality of decision nodes, wherein said possible decision path data comprises a plurality of decision steps, each decision step associated with a source decision node and one or more destination decision nodes, and wherein no decision step is associated with a source decision node in a first decision tree and a destination decision node in a second decision tree;   transmitting first decision data representative of a first decision node, said first decision data comprising data representative of a first query associated with said first decision node and a first plurality of possible responses associated with said first decision node;   receiving first response data representative of a first selected plurality of responses, wherein each of said first selected plurality of responses was within the first plurality of possible responses associated with said first decision node;   transmitting second decision data representative of a second decision node, said second decision data comprising data representative of a second query associated with said second decision node and a second plurality of possible responses associated with said second decision node, wherein said possible decision path data comprises a decision step associated with said first query as a source decision node and said second query as a destination decision node;   receiving second response data representative of a second selected plurality of responses, wherein each of said second selected plurality of responses was within the second plurality of possible responses associated with said second decision node;   transmitting third decision data representative of a third decision node, said third decision data comprising data representative of a third query associated with said third decision node and a third plurality of possible responses associated with said third decision node, wherein said possible decision path data does not comprise a decision step associated with said second query as a source decision node and said third query as a destination decision node; and   receiving third response data representative of a third selected plurality of responses, wherein each of said third selected plurality of responses was within the third plurality of possible responses associated with said third decision node.