From data to medical context: the power of categorization in healthcare

Abstract

In the rapidly evolving healthcare domain, the ability to structure and interpret contextual medical data is crucial for delivering personalized and efficient patient care. While many existing studies attempt to define medical context through diverse categorizations, they often lack completeness or applicability in the real-world healthcare domain. This paper introduces a novel and comprehensive context categorization model composed of fifteen well-defined categories, bridging the gap between theoretical models and practical requirements in telemonitoring systems for chronic disease management. By incorporating important but often overlooked components such as social determinants, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and environmental factors our model enhances clarity and strengthens decision-making in clinical settings. We validate the applicability of this framework through detailed case studies on asthma, COPD, and cardiovascular diseases, demonstrating its utility in enhancing telehealth solutions and aiding early intervention strategies.

Keywords: chronic disease; clinical support; context categorization; context of healthcare domain; telemedicine.

Figure 1

Existing context categories in medical domain.

Figure 2

Asthma context categorization.

Figure 3

Cardiovascular context categorization.

Figure 4

COPD context categorization.

Figure 5

Context categorization of the medical domain.