Design of a Clinical Event Monitor

• Published in: Computers and biomedical research Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 194 - 221
• Main Authors: Hripcsak, George, Clayton, Paul D., Jenders, Robert A., Cimino, James J., Johnson, Stephen B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.06.1996; Academic Press
• Subjects: Artificial Intelligence; Biological and medical sciences; Computer Communication Networks; Computerized, statistical medical data processing and models in biomedicine; Drug Interactions; Humans; Information Systems; Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems; Medical computing and teaching; Medical Records Systems, Computerized; Medical sciences; Medication Systems; Neural Networks (Computer); Reproducibility of Results; Software; Systems Integration; User-Computer Interface; Error analysis; Performance characteristic; Hospital management; Clinical form; System design; Knowledge base; Biomedical data processing; Performance requirement; Biomedical information; Medical prescription; Clinical trial; Public health; Monitoring
• ISSN: 0010-4809; 1090-2368
• DOI: 10.1006/cbmr.1996.0016

The issues and implementation of a clinical event monitor are described. An event monitor generates messages for providers, patients, and organizations based on clinical events and patient data. For example, an order for a medication might trigger the generation of a warning about a drug interaction. A model based on the active database literature has as its main components an event (which triggers a rule to fire), a condition (which tests whether an action ought to be performed), and an action (often the generation of a message). The details of implementing such a monitor are described, using as an example the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center clinical event monitor, which is based on the Arden Syntax for Medical Logic Modules.