Making Things Personal: Case-Based Reasoning for Patient Self-Management of Oral Anticoagulant Medications

Pavel Roshanov and Noemi Chanda
Undergraduate Students, University of Waterloo
2008 Agfa Healthcare Innovation Award Winners

Wednesday, April 24, 2009
1:00 - 2:00PM
Davis Centre 1304, University of Waterloo

View Video of Presentation in HI Alive Archive: Research Seminars Archive 2008-2009

Abstract
Warfarin-sodium (Coumadin) is one of the most commonly used medications today. It is used to prevent the formation of dangerous blood clots. Unfortunately, patient response to this medication is extremely variable, making it difficult for clinicians to prescribe an appropriate dose for every patient. This makes warfarin dangerous. A number of physiological, genetic, and dietary factors interact with warfarin to determine how a patient responds to the medication. As a result, management of warfarin requires frequent laboratory monitoring and dose adjustments to maintain effectiveness while minimizing risk of bleeding.

However, some clinicians have allowed select patients to monitor and adjust their own warfarin dose. It may be possible for software, based on the Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) technique, to provide personalized suggestions that help patients make decisions when managing their own therapy. CBR is a method of making decisions by applying solutions that were effective in previous experiences to new, but similar situations. Join us in a discussion about the potential use of a CBR system in helping patients manage their own warfarin dose.

About the Speakers

Pavel Roshanov is a fourth year undergraduate student in the department of Health Studies and Gerontology at the University of Waterloo. Some of his academic interests include clinical decision support systems, workflow management, and knowledge translation.

Noemi Chanda is a third year undergraduate student in Arts and Business, majoring in both Economics and Sociology at the University of Waterloo. Some of her academic interests include health economics, cost benefit analysis, and public policy.

Pavel and Noemi were the winners of the 2008 Agfa Healthcare Innovation Award and won a trip to Agfa's head office in Belgium to present this winning idea to the firm's global chief technology officer.