Semantic-based decision support for remote care of Dementia patients

Abstract

Abstract-This paper investigates the challenges in developing a semantic-based Dementia Care Decision Support System based on the non-intrusive monitoring of the patient's behaviour. Semantic-based approaches are well suited for modelling context-aware scenarios similar to Dementia care systems, where the patient's dynamic behaviour observations (occupants movement, equipment use) need to be analysed against the semantic knowledge about the patient's condition (illness history, medical advice, known symptoms) in an integrated knowledgebase. However, our research findings establish that the ability of semantic technologies to reason upon the complex interrelated events emanating from the behaviour monitoring sensors to infer knowledge assisting medical advice represents a major challenge. We attempt to address this problem by introducing a new approach that relies on propositional calculus modelling to segregate complex events that are amenable for semantic reasoning from events that require pre-processing outside the semantic engine before they can be reasoned upon. The event pre-processing activity also controls the timing of triggering the reasoning process in order to further improve the efficiency of the inference process. Using regression analysis, we evaluate the response-time as the number of monitored patients increases and conclude that the incurred overhead on the response time of the prototype decision support systems remains tolerable.

Semantic and Dweller-Based Decision Support System for the Reconfiguration of Domestic Environments: RecAAL

“…The possibility of enabling reasoning processes and inferring new knowledge on context, dwellers' activities and comfort metrics gathers a great deal of interest [27]. Osman et al [28] conceived a DSS for supporting independent living for people suffering from dementia is described. This DSS leverages the semantic representation of context information and semantic rules (modelled with Semantic Web Rule Language(SWRL) [29]), in order to build a knowledge base able to capture changes in the situational conditions and the inferred information are provided to clinical personnel to help them in their decisions.…”

Support Dementia: Using Wearable Assistive Technology and Analysing Real-Time Data

“…In this example, the physical layout of the patient's home and environment are referred to as static semantics whereas the patient's movement and engagement in activities is dynamically updated based on their behaviours over time is dynamic semantics. [15] For developing a suitable framework to accurately analyse data from assistive technologies, our approach to modelling is based on the assumption that dynamic changes in the patients situational conditions such as room occupancy and movement within the living environment has to be analysed against the semantic knowledge about the condition' symptoms and the patient's related profile (medical history, age, etc.). Therefore, we can define our proposed framework as contextaware and knowledge-based.…”