Integration of data, information and knowledge in intelligent patient monitoring

Efficient patient monitoring requires the integration of bedside monitors, database information and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, in order to obtain correct interpretations and to prescribe appropriate therapies. In this article, the authors present the new architecture of PATRICIA, an intelligent monitoring system designed to advise clinicians in the management of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The system's new architecture is based on current trends in the design of hospital health care systems, and allows integration of bedside monitors to front-end computers, and through the data network to a central monitor that controls and manages all the network operations. We have applied the client-server philosophy that takes advantage from information integration, shared resources and equipment networking. This approach results in an efficient and flexible system, and offers several benefits from the clinical point of view, as it serves as a helping tool for clinical decision-making in an ICU environment. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.