The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is dramatically reduced preventable medical errors, which claims 250,000 lives per year and is the third leading cause of deaths. Our medical best practice guidance system is an advanced clinical decision support (CDS) technology. Like Global Positioning System (GPS) based navigation systems that transformed transportation, the guidance systems developed here will potentially fundamentally transform the implementation of medical best practices, with rapid and consistent timing of medical interventions, preventing unintended deviation from standardized medical treatment guidelines, more accurate record keeping, and improved team situation awareness. Current market reports estimate a CDS market of more than $1 billion by 2023, with stand-alone systems accounting for the greatest market share.
This I-Corps further develops a computational pathophysiology platform. Using this new computational paradigm, an informal description of the disease process in the medical text can be transformed into executable formal representations in the form of networked organ state machines and best practice state machines that can be verified against specifications and validated in clinical evaluation. The result is executable computer models and precise software that can track and records complex disease dynamics. The precise and repeatable nature of executable software model removes errors caused by subjective interpretations and memorization problems.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
