Model checking timed properties of healthcare processes

Abstract

Healthcare workflows (careflows) involve complex, distributive processes with a high degree of variability. There are ubiquitous communication and enormous data and knowledge management requirements and the processes involve complex timing requirements, and are safety critical. Designing these processes and managing their performance is difficult and error‐prone. Using verification techniques such as model checking, which are mathematical methods of proving correctness, we can reduce errors by ensuring that process designs satisfy their specifications. We describe a prototype next generation multithreaded model checker to reason about processes in careflows, sensitive to patient preferences and the goals of the careteam using a timed temporal logic extended with modalities of beliefs, desires, and intentions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.