Computer-implemented system and method for identifying similar patients

Abstract

A method, system, and database is provided that permits users treating patients with genomic alteration to more easily and effectively exchange information with other users treating patients with similar genomic alterations. In one example, a user may be permitted to assign genomic alteration tags to patients and filter through patients based on the genomic alterations. Additional features, such as automatically identifying, and facilitating communication with, other users that have treated similar patients may be provided to further enhance the user's ability to treat genomic alterations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A distributed computer system comprising:
 a database comprising patient-specific pathology information relating to a plurality of patients including at least one current patient;   an interface for a practitioner that provides treatment for the at least one current patient; and   a matching component adapted to identify a similar patient among the plurality of patients based on a similarity between the patient-specific pathology information and patient-specific pathology information of the similar patient.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific pathology information relating to the patient includes at least one of a group comprising disease phenotype information and genetic alteration information. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the disease phenotype information is arranged into one or more disease ontology groups, and wherein the matching component is adapted to locate the similar patient based on the one or more disease ontology groups. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the genetic alteration information is arranged into one or more alteration groups, and wherein the matching component is adapted to locate the similar patient based on the one or more alteration groups. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the interface for a practitioner is adapted to display an indication to the practitioner that the similar patient is identified. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the system further comprises a communication component that permits the practitioner to communicate with a treating practitioner related to the identified similar patient. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the system identifies other practitioners that have selected to communicate about their patients. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 5 , wherein the system identifies other practitioners that have been selected to communicate about their patients. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the communication component includes an interface that accepts structured data from at least one of the other practitioners. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the communication component includes an interface that accepts response data from at least one of the other practitioners. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the response data includes structured and unstructured data. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the communication component includes an interface presents response data in a matrix of results. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the matrix includes de-identified information relating to the identified similar patient. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the matrix includes genomic data and associated response data. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the system includes a component that aggregates structured data among a plurality of identified similar patients and an interface that presents the aggregated structured data to the practitioner. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system is adapted to collect biomarker data and is adapted to store the biomarker data in the database. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the database is adapted to store the patient-specific pathology information and biomarker data within a graph-based data structure. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the database is adapted to store information organized into a plurality of tuples of information. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of tuples of information include at least two elements connected by a relation. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the system includes a component adapted to determine one or more actionable items within the graph-based data structure responsive to the biomarker data and patient-specific pathology information. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of tuples are organized by the system into a walkable graph representation. 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising acts of:
 storing, in a database, patient-specific pathology information relating to a plurality of patients including at least one current patient;   presenting, to a practitioner, a computer-based interface of a distributed computer system, the practitioner providing treatment for the at least one current patient; and   identifying, by the distributed computer system, a similar patient among the plurality of patients responsive to an act of determining a similarity between the patient-specific pathology information and patient-specific pathology information of the similar patient.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the patient-specific pathology information relating to the patient includes at least one of a group comprising disease phenotype information and genetic alteration information. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the disease phenotype information is arranged into one or more disease ontology groups, and wherein the matching component is adapted to locate the similar patient based on the one or more disease ontology groups. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the method further comprises an act of arranging genetic alteration information into one or more alteration groups, and wherein the method further comprises locating the similar patient based on the one or more alteration groups. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises an act of displaying, in the interface to the practitioner, an indication that the similar patient is identified. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the method further comprises an act of permitting the practitioner to communicate with a treating practitioner related to the identified similar patient. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the method further comprises an act of identifying, by the computer system, other practitioners that have selected to communicate about their patients. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the method further comprises an act of identifying, by the computer system, other practitioners that have been selected to communicate about their patients. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises an act of accepting, from at least one of the other practitioners within an interface of the computer system, response data that includes structured data. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises an act of accepting, from at least one of the other practitioners within an interface of the computer system, response data. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the response data includes structured and unstructured data. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises an act of presenting, within an interface of the computer system, response data in a matrix of results. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the matrix includes de-identified information relating to the identified similar patient. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the matrix includes genomic data and associated response data. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 32 , wherein the method further comprises an act of aggregating, by the computer system, structured data among a plurality of identified similar patients and presenting, within an interface of the computer system, the aggregated structured data to the practitioner. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises an act of collecting biomarker data and storing the biomarker data in the database. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 37 , wherein the method further comprises an act of storing the patient-specific pathology information and biomarker data within a graph-based data structure. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the method further comprises an act of organizing the patient-specific pathology information and biomarker data into a plurality of tuples of information. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein each of the plurality of tuples of information include at least two elements connected by a relation. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the method further comprises an act of determining one or more actionable items within the graph-based data structure responsive to the biomarker data and patient-specific pathology information. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the plurality of tuples are organized by the system into a walkable graph representation.