The Aim
To provide solutions to the problems that arise from the further impact of COVID-19 on the United States via clinical data analytics.
The Answer
A provider administrated triage solution in real time at first contact, with immediate centralization of data to regional, state and national agencies for knowledge-based policy decision making.
A provider administrated triage solution in real time at first contact, with immediate centralization of data to regional, state and national agencies for knowledge-based policy decision making.
Background
The pandemic of coronavirus continues to be a preeminent issue facing North American governments and their citizens. Review of statistics in the United States, China and Europe regarding morbidity and mortality associated with coronavirus has led to the conclusion that ongoing evidence-based decisions must be made to mitigate the ongoing medical situation. Nobody can foretell the ultimate extent and severity that this infection poses, but history has taught us that pandemics are capable of widespread death and disease on a level equaled only by world war. Though certain treatments are beneficial, the coronavirus has no definitive cure. Vaccines and boosters have been made available. However, the ultimate impact of COVID-19 variants, long COVID syndromes, and the continued efficacy of current vaccines remain to be seen.
The Task at Hand
Accordingly, the health care community, at all levels, particularly local and regional will need to approach the problem as other incurable and potentially lethal infectious illnesses that are easily communicable.
Early detection and testing
Isolation/quarantine of suspected cases
Supportive medical treatment and RCT clinical trials
Education of the public
The Solution
ePhysician's Office, Inc. is a software development company with a web-based patented infrastructure that is uniquely qualified to meet the needs as stated.
Web-based Infrastructure
Immediate access is available at the site of initial patient contact, be it an emergency department, physician office, or even at home.
The web-based technology will allow for followup of geographic clustering of suspected and/or confirmed cases by regional, state or national health agencies with the invaluable advantage of 'lead-time' in determining size of outbreaks, migratory spread, specific patient demographics or those most at risk, and changes in the presentation or spectrum of the disease.
Patented 'template', a unique mathematical model
The above features are made possible by the real time accrual and assembly of data from multiple sites of access, into a user-customizable template. The data is processed automatically by the expert system so that intelligence gathering, initiated at the bedside, leads to immediate improvement in knowledge base. This process has infinite scalability and, when completed, an electronic database is created.
Integration within standard legacy systems
The web-based solution offered by ePhysician’s Office Inc. does not change existing health care processes already in place nor those being planned by delivery systems. Rather, it augments and facilitates these practices so that the greatest amount of information can be delivered in the shortest amount of time to those who need to address the series of weighted determinants and make correlative decisions regarding resource utilization and allocation. The weighted determinants are based on regional and personal demographics, actual symptoms and physical examination findings.
Previous applications of ePhysicians Office Inc.'s technology have included emergency department resource utilization issues, based on data assembled, accrued and weighted in real time at the bedside. Such a process need not be disruptive, and the bonanza it offers in service, outcome, and cost can be verified.
Connectivity to other involved agencies
The approach to successful management of the current health care issue at hand involves seamless integration of multiple data bases into a single platform. Non web-based solutions cannot offer this capability.
Available links to institutions, for providers, researchers and pharmas, may be initiated.
A key feature, data mining is only the initial aspect of the functionality of this solution.
Machine Learning
The unique feature offered is a Bayesian-logic architecture that calculates weighted averages for all determinants that are data-based, with regard to their association with suspected or confirmed coronavirus. The result is the ability to actually calculate a probability that a specific disease is present, absent or changing in presentation.
A critical number of cases need to accrue from which weighted averages may be derived with statistical validity. Prior to that point, they may be estimated from review of existing literature or by clinical inference by experts in infectious disease and placed into the e-infrastructure.
Once the critical number of cases has been reached, the productive tool is self-functionalized in accordance with rigorous statistical theory and probabilities of unknown cases may be calculated. As more cases accrue, the machine-learning tool incorporates these cases into the existing weighted averages automatically, which translates into better predictability.
This process has infinite scalability, and the process has been granted patent status for its novelty. In this way, the system provides diagnostic and triage support, as well as targeted data mining for clinical trials by providers and pharmas.
Summary
The continuing coronavirus situation requires accessible, rapid, and multi-tiered knowledge-based solutions, integrated within existing health care processes with applications from bedside, to research facilities, to the offices of the Federal and State legislators and policymakers.