Journal:Design of generalized search interfaces for health informatics
| Full article title | Design of generalized search interfaces for health informatics |
|---|---|
| Journal | Information |
| Author(s) | Demelo, Jonathan; Sedig, Kamran |
| Author affiliation(s) | Western University |
| Primary contact | Email: sedig at uwo dot ca |
| Editors | Almada, Marta |
| Year published | 2021 |
| Volume and issue | 12(8) |
| Article # | 317 |
| DOI | 10.3390/info12080317 |
| ISSN | 2078-2489 |
| Distribution license | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
| Website | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/8/317/htm |
| Download | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/8/317/pdf (PDF) |
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Abstract
In this paper, we investigate ontology-supported interfaces for health informatics search tasks involving large document sets. We begin by providing background on health informatics, machine learning, and ontologies. We review leading research on health informatics search tasks to help formulate high-level design criteria. We then use these criteria to examine traditional design strategies for search interfaces. To demonstrate the utility of the criteria, we apply them to the design of the ONTology-supported Search Interface (ONTSI), a demonstrative, prototype system. ONTSI allows users to plug-and-play document sets and expert-defined domain ontologies through a generalized search interface. ONTSI’s goal is to help align users’ common vocabulary with the domain-specific vocabulary of the plug-and-play document set. We describe the functioning and utility of ONTSI in health informatics search tasks through a workflow and a scenario. We conclude with a summary of ongoing evaluations, limitations, and future research.
Keywords: information search, search tasks, health informatics, interface design, ontologies, machine learning, PubMed
Introduction
Health informatics is concerned with emergent technological systems that improve the quality and availability of care, promote the sharing of knowledge, and support the performance of proactive health and wellness tasks by motivated individuals. [1] Subareas of health informatics may include medical informatics, nursing informatics, consumer informatics, cancer informatics, and pharmacy informatics, to name a few. Simply put, health informatics is concerned with harnessing technology for finding new ways to help stakeholders work with health information to be able to perform health-related tasks more effectively.
Users in the health domain are increasingly taking advantage of computer-based resources in their tasks. For instance, a 2017 Canadian survey found that 32% of respondents within their last month had used at least one mobile application for health-related tasks. Even more, those under the age of 35 are twice as likely to do so. [2] Furthermore, studies have calculated that over 58% of Americans have used tools like Google and other domain-specific tools to support their health informatics search tasks, with search being one of the most important and central tasks in most health informatics activities. [3,4]
References
Notes
This presentation is faithful to the original, with only a few minor changes to presentation. Some grammar and punctuation was cleaned up to improve readability. In some cases important information was missing from the references, and that information was added.
