Article type
Abstract
Background: Due to the constraints of text format, it is difficult for Integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine (TCM and WM) Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to play a real role in medical practice. In addition, how to standardize the structure and semantic relationships between Integrated TCM and WM CPG knowledge, and realize the construction of computable, sharable and reliable CPGs, remains an urgent issue to be addressed.
Objective: We have proposed a universal formal, fine-grained and evidence-based Integrated TCM and WM CPG knowledge representation model based on ontology.
Methods: We first initialized domain concepts and relationships to ensure the accuracy of ontology knowledge structure. We then screened CPGs that meet the standards for Integrated TCM and WM, analyzed and classified the contents, and extracted the common structures. Based on the seven-step ontology construction method combined with inference-complement, referring to the representation methods and hierarchical relationships of terms and concepts in MeSH, ICD-10, SNOMED-CT and other ontologies and terminology sets, we formed the concept structure and semantic relationship tables for the CPG ontology. We also achieved the matching and mapping between the CPG ontology and reference ontologies and term sets. Next, we defined the aspects and constraints of properties, selected multiple Integrated TCM and WM CPGs as instances to populate, and used ontology reasoning tools and formulating defined inference rules to reason and extend the CPG ontology. Finally, we evaluated the performance of the CPG ontology.
Results: The content of the Integrated TCM and WM CPGs is divided into nine parts: basic information, background, development method, clinical question, recommendation, evidence, conclusion, result and reason for recommendations. The universal CPG ontology for Integrated TCM and WM has 152 classes and defines 90 object properties and 114 data properties, with a maximum classification depth of 4 layers. The terms of disease, drug and examination item names in the ontology have been standardized.
Conclusions: Our study has constructed a universal formal, fine-grained and evidence-based Integrated TCM and WM CPG knowledge model based on ontology, which could effectively solve the problems of knowledge representation and application of Integrated TCM and WM CPGs.
Objective: We have proposed a universal formal, fine-grained and evidence-based Integrated TCM and WM CPG knowledge representation model based on ontology.
Methods: We first initialized domain concepts and relationships to ensure the accuracy of ontology knowledge structure. We then screened CPGs that meet the standards for Integrated TCM and WM, analyzed and classified the contents, and extracted the common structures. Based on the seven-step ontology construction method combined with inference-complement, referring to the representation methods and hierarchical relationships of terms and concepts in MeSH, ICD-10, SNOMED-CT and other ontologies and terminology sets, we formed the concept structure and semantic relationship tables for the CPG ontology. We also achieved the matching and mapping between the CPG ontology and reference ontologies and term sets. Next, we defined the aspects and constraints of properties, selected multiple Integrated TCM and WM CPGs as instances to populate, and used ontology reasoning tools and formulating defined inference rules to reason and extend the CPG ontology. Finally, we evaluated the performance of the CPG ontology.
Results: The content of the Integrated TCM and WM CPGs is divided into nine parts: basic information, background, development method, clinical question, recommendation, evidence, conclusion, result and reason for recommendations. The universal CPG ontology for Integrated TCM and WM has 152 classes and defines 90 object properties and 114 data properties, with a maximum classification depth of 4 layers. The terms of disease, drug and examination item names in the ontology have been standardized.
Conclusions: Our study has constructed a universal formal, fine-grained and evidence-based Integrated TCM and WM CPG knowledge model based on ontology, which could effectively solve the problems of knowledge representation and application of Integrated TCM and WM CPGs.