Title: Decision support in large-scale healthcare information systems: the challenge of integrating ontologies

Authors: Colin Price, Ron Summers

Addresses: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK. ' Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK

Abstract: The growing trend for implementation of healthcare information systems at enterprise and national levels requires the integration of multiple component standards as well as mechanisms for supporting diverse multidisciplinary needs and approaches to care delivery. Most of these large-scale programmes are being undertaken against the context of existing specialist and departmental information systems that often incorporate some decision-support functionality. We explore the issues in defining from these components useful and useable ontologies for decision-support functions in large-scale multidisciplinary healthcare systems.

Keywords: decision support systems; DSS; ontology integration; clinical terminology; health information strategy; healthcare information systems; healthcare technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2010.032701

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2010 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.375 - 392

Published online: 13 Apr 2010 *

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