On the Application of Formal Methods to Clinical Guidelines, an Artificial Intelligence Perspective

Abstract

In computer science, all kinds of methods and techniques have been developed to study systems, such as simulation of the behaviour of a system. Furthermore, it is possible to study these systems by proving formal formal properties or by searching through all the possible states that a system may be in. The formal notation and techniques that are used in the development of digital systems are referred to by the term `formal methods'. Clinical guidelines are documents that include recommendations, advice, and management instructions aimed at supporting the decision-making in healthcare. Medicine is a field in which mistakes made have a major bearing on the health and life expectancy of people, so it is important to make sure that the recommendations in these clinical guidelines are sound. In this thesis, the use of formal methods for quality-checking clinical guidelines is investigated.