Parameters

Parameters are essentially pieces of information about the patient conditions. Roughly parameters can be divided into 2 groups:

• Symptoms
• Research results

The Symptom in terms of this system is something that can be discovered directly during the patient's visit to the doctor (or if in the hospital during the conversation between the patient and the doctor). In order to find about the symptom no expensive investigation or follow up appointment are necessary. Doctor can just ask the patient about the symptom or check it straightaway. Examples of symptoms are: Headache (yes or no), Kind of headache (how long, which part of the head, when happens), Stool frequency, Heartburn (yes or no), etc. According to this classification the parameter like Blood pressure is also a symptom. Although not every patient would be able to tell what his/her blood pressure is, the doctor can easily check it during the patient's visit.

The Research result parameter is the information obtained as a result of certain investigation. Typical examples of research results are: WBC (White Blood Cells count), Blood sugar, Urine sugar, X-ray description, etc.

The reason why the system distinguishes between symptoms and research results is - symptoms represent information, which is very easy to obtain at no extra costs. That is why the system will always ask about the missing symptoms automatically even if there is no Rule of logic telling that these symptoms should be asked. Contrary to that the research results will be only obtained if there is a Rule in system knowledge base prescribing some investigation in certain circumstances.

The Research results are logically linked to Investigations but they are not the same things. For example, Blood test is Investigation. When WBC, Hemoglobin, C Reactive protein discovered by blood test are Research results parameters. Therefore the Investigation represents the higher level in this hierarchy when Research results parameters represent the lower level.

There can be 3 parameter types: numeric, boolean, option.
Numeric parameters show some number. Examples of numeric parameters are: Hemoglobin, Temperature, Patient's Age, etc.
Boolean parameters are those, which expect the answer Yes or No. Examples of boolean parameters are: Headache, Heartburn, Loss of appetite, Wet nose, Cough, etc.
Option parameters have predetermined set of options, which can be used as their values. Examples of option parameters are: Kind of headache (On forehead, Top of the head, Whole head, Vague, Eyes area, Sinus area, None), Heartburn cause (Fat food, Spicy food, Fasting, No food dependency, Medicine, Nervousness, None), Kind of cough (Dry, Wet, Both dry and wet, After smoking, Allergical, None). It is very important to always have None as a possible choice for the option parameter (unless absolutely inapplicable). Otherwise for example there would not be possible to pick up the answer if the system asks Kind of headache question for the patient who does not have a headache at all.

Both Symptoms and Research results parameters can be of any of 3 types listed above.

See also: Parameter List, Parameter Edit