Spth-FCM: decision support tool for speech therapist based on fuzzy cognitive mapping

Abstract

The development and integration of medical information systems into a unified information space is a significant focus in the field of information technologies. It is essential to develop decision support systems (DSS) to enhance the effectiveness of medical and diagnostic procedures. This article presents a novel decision support tool for speech therapists, which is based on fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM). The latter is a method of modeling complex systems using knowledge of human existence and experience. The proposed tool is composed of three phases. The first phase focuses on entering patient information into the graphical interface developed in JAVA based on the most precise observations. An FCM will be automatically constructed, describing the type of disorder and the patient’s case during the second phase. Finally, in the third phase, FCM-based scenarios were built during the execution of the inference process under FCM expert. The system is presented and demonstrated using a real cases study for eight weeks. The results show that the tool makes it possible to display, guide, assist, and confirm the medical decision of the speech therapist for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.