Design and Implementation of an Expert System for the Diagnosis of Communicable Diseases
Chapter One
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The major objective of this work is to develop an expert system on diagnosis of communicable diseases. It also targets towards contributing to academic research work.
It is also to ascertain whether the diseases could be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms.
It will also examine a patient based on simple clinical signs, and to improve family and community health.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Over the past years when computers were not in use, various medical institutions in Nigeria carried out its activities manually thereby resulting to various difficulties in the course of their work, most especially in the aspect of diagnosis process. It is known that in our modern civilization in Nigeria is now firmly based on a technological and scientific foundation which by far surpasses the vision of our ancestors in centuries ago. The use of computer technology has brought a lot of improvement in the field of medicines, such improvement is the introduction of artificial intelligence in the computer world that is been developed into expert system that can make use of computation models in the study of mutual facilities. Computer today has played a major role in medical institutions by making activities not only efficient but stress free. Patient diagnosis in most medical institutions is done manually. This research work focuses on developing a program with the use of computers to improve the current set-backs being faced by the medical institutions. Various researches on medical diagnosis process have been carried out but, much focus has been on patient record system and hospital management system etc. this work is based on the development of a cased based expert system that will take in patient diseases symptoms and generate the possible kind of communicable disease such patient might have and to ensure efficient diagnosis of patient by avoiding miscommunication of signs and symptom as well as the kind of communicable disease.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF MEDICAL INSTITUTION
Some authorizes state that has long ago as 4000BC, Temples of the ancient gods were as house of refuge for the sick and inform, and as training schools for doctors. Later the temple of Aseclepius, the Greek god of medicine serves the same purpose. Historical records show that medical institution like hospital existed in India under Buddhist auspices as early as the third century BC.
The number of medical institution grew in the first century of the Christian era. In the fourth century AD medical institutions such as hospital were founded in Caesarea and in Rome during the 18th century, Municipal Hospital operated by civil authority began to appear particularly in England. In United State, various small private hospitals were operated by churches and individual doctors but not until 1751 was the first public hospital in Pennsylvania hospitals in Philadelphia, opened through the effort of Benjamin Franklin and the Philadelphian doctor, Thomas Bond.
The outbreak of the World War 1 in 1914 marked the end of much within ‘’the old order’’, and give doctors imbued with the never findings of medical science the opportunity to put them into practices. During these 120 years, modern medicine arguably emerged, both normal and abnormal function (Physiology & Pathology) were increasingly understood within smaller units first the tissues and then the cells .microscope also played a key role in the development of bacteriology and its most important by-product, the germ theory of disease.
New ways of diagnosing disease were developed, and surgery emerged as an important branch of medicine above all, the combination of science and technology underpinned medical knowledge and practices, a future that has remain with us.
Many hospitals which had been placed of result for the poor, age and displaced became increasingly oriented towards caring only for the sick, discharging them only when they are stable in health.
OVERVIEW OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
According to Leeper Mary et al (1997) said when a person becomes sick with a communicable disease it means a germ has invaded their body. She further defined germs as tiny organisms (living things) that may cause disease. Germs are so small and sneaky that they creep into our body without being noticed. In fact germs are so tiny that you need to use a microscope to see them. We don’t know what hit us until we have symptoms (runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, etc.) that let us know we’ve been attacked by a disease.
Disease is a state of discomfort in which the normal functioning of the body is disturbed. Communicable diseases are also known as infectious diseases. They spread from one person to another, that is, a healthy person may catch it from a patient. Communicable diseases include a group of illnesses that humans can contract. If infected, they can suffer serious illness and life-threatening conditions. The key is learning to identify the most deadly, and realizing the steps to avoid coming in contact with the disease–and how to get treatment if you get sick.
TYPES OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
There are hundreds of types of communicable diseases. Many are considered infectious or contagious in nature. Most include those that are microbial, protozoa, fungal, parasitic, bacteria and viruses. Some of the more common communicable diseases include chickenpox, cholera, MRSA, diphtheria, Epstein-Barr virus, E. coli, Fifth disease, German measles, giardiasis, gonorrhea, hand, foot and mouth disease, hepatitis A, B and C, herpes, HPV, impetigo, influenza, lice, malaria, measles, pertussis, plague, pneumococcal disease, rabies, ringworm, rubella, scabies, smallpox, streptococcal Infection, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and yellow fever.
CHAPTER THREE
SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM
In analyzing the existing system, we have to know the aim of the system analysis. System analysis is the phenomenon that deals with the thorough examination of an organization system to determine its extent and limitation in order to provide an improved solution to the system.
However, system analysis on the diagnosis of communicable diseases in most medical centers are being done manually. When a patient comes to the medical centre for the first time, they would need to follow some procedures, i.e. they have to buy hospitals card, register, and go to the triage. Then their case notes are prepared and the case note is then sent to the consultant physician.
All these processes are carried out while on the queue in the waiting area, except it is an emergency that is when a patient can jump the queue, it takes time as all the processes are done manually. It is ergonomics in nature, time consuming and causes fatigue in workers which can lead to loss of vital information, also here can be data inaccuracy.
In the forms filled the full bio-data of the patient are filled in, in case of death their next of kin can be contacted for appropriate decision to be taken. This information is also verified to ascertain correctness of information.
INPUT ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM
The input of the current system is a note from the medical doctor referring the patient to laboratory test. The note is usually contained in a memo. Other contain of the memo are:
- The name of the hospital
- The Doctor’s name
- The doctor’s signature
- The name of the Laboratory referred to.
- The nature of test to be carried out
CHAPTER FOUR
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
Due to the use of an object oriented language as the programming language, the modules are implemented through abstract data types (ADTs) called object and classes. An object is an entity which has both properties (data) and operations (methods). An example is a man with properties such as skin color and operations (methods such as sleep, talk, run. A class is a template or description of a set of objects with similar characteristics attributes etc. an example is “mammal’ as a class describing objects such as man, whale etc.
Listed below are operations that can be carried out with the use of the visual basic 6.0 application and the corresponding visual basic forms used to perform them.
- Register a new patient frm New Reg.
- Admit a new patient -frm admission.
- Admit an old (already registered) patient -frm admit existing
- Discharge a registered and admitted patient - frm discharge
- Diagnose a registered and admitted patient-frm diagnosis
- Search for a registered patient’s file-frm wait
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
SUMMARY
At the end of this research work, several lessons were leant. These include among others, Communicable disease conditions and their diagnosis based on symptoms.
Again I achieved the major aim and objective of this project work, which was to develop a computer Expert system on communicable Disease diagnosis.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND SOLUTIONS
There were several problems encountered in the process of this design. The most important aspect of the problem was the aspect of information gathering. It was very difficult for me to source information for the relevant thing that I needed to do.
Finance was another important aspect of the work that rendered everything almost impossible.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS
This project work need further improvements and would rather here suggest that anybody wishing to repeat this work should dwell more on incorporating sound into the system. Higher programming languages such as java, .Net, etc may be used for future development.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In this project work, it’s strongly suggested that more time should be allocated to school project. This will go a long way to helping the student involved to truly participate actively in developing his work.
Another important suggestion is financial support. Government and agencies should come to the aid of the student carrying out such project work as it is financially demanding. This can only be possible if the school will link the student to such agencies and governmental institutions.
CONCLUSIONS
Expert systems have been found to be very useful in our today’s world driven by technology. When expert’s knowledge is extracted and stored, such knowledge can be used to replace the expert in case of demise.
Medical diagnosis will have greater part of the advantages of expert system, knowing that only a few specialties exist in the medical field. The knowledge of such specialist can be replicated and made use of in times extreme necessity. Therefore, the development of a case based expert system need to be encouraged.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
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- Elwood F, Hotton II, James W, Trott Jr, (1996). Programming and the artificial thinking Development. New York, ACM Press, pp 99-107.
- French,C.S.(1993).Data processing and information technology. Dp publication Ltd, London.
- Grirr mk, Buchamm,E.M.N.R,Greig,W.R.and Bayer, J.a.(1985)Progress in medical computing . Black –wills Scientific Publication, London.
- Kelly D, (2001): Expert System and medical issues ,Ibadan,SME’s. London, Oxford University Press, pp 48-62.
- Meacham A, Stab S, Stajanovic N, Studer R, Sure Y, (2003). Theories of system expert . London, MIT Press, pp 317-359.
- McLean G.N, Osman-Gani A.M, Cho E. (Eds), (2002). Expert system text books Hong Gong, Progn Press, pp 98-102.
