1.1 Introduction
Online Medical Diagnosis Software (OMDS) automates the whole process of patience diagnosis with accurate and precise result using a well detail and proven algorithm to achieve it desire output, one of such algorithm is fuzzy logic a branch of artificial intelligent. Using the software will remove all such complexities as it helps the end users to retrieve information accurately. Medical establishments like hospitals, rehabilitation centers, health-saloons etc. are seen as figures of hope when struck with illness. Just like other organizations, medical establishments are also well-organized, following rigid and complex processes. Similarly, according to Anderson et al., (2009) medical diagnosis is the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs. It is most often referred to as diagnosis with the medical context being implicit (Anderson et al, 2009).
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of the Study
In recent years, records have shown an increase in inaccuracy and imprecision in medical diagnosis as most patient who are unable to a clinic for proper diagnosis end up treating sickness inappropriately. The advent of computer and internet has made it possible for millions to access proper medical diagnosis and are administer correct treatment procedures. Today, several algorithm, models and technologies are put in place to ensure accurate and precise diagnosis on patient which in turns has reduce the rate of mortality in the country and world at large. One of such technologies is fuzzy logics.
The information required for diagnosis is typically collected from a history and physical examination of the person seeking medical care. Often, one or more diagnostic procedures, such as diagnostic tests, are also done during the process. Sometimes posthumous diagnosis is considered a kind of medical diagnosis. Diagnosis is often challenging, because many signs and symptoms are nonspecific. Thus differential diagnosis, in which several possible explanations are compared and contrasted, must be performed. This involves the correlation of various pieces of information followed by the recognition and differentiation of patterns.
The existing research has untreated bottlenecks which entail that a lot of patients take drugs base on ancient myth, past experience and drugs availability not knowing that same symptom can cut across several illnesses and thereby engaging in drugs abuse. It is against the background that the developments of this software will provide a reliable way of handling patient diagnosis as the result are gotten from well know medical institution.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that a lot of patients take drugs base on ancient myth, past experience and drugs availability not knowing that same symptom can cut across several illnesses and thereby engaging in drugs abuse. Medical Diagnosis and Consultancy System research work was undertaken to uncover some of the problems that characterized the traditional method of medical diagnostic which has taken many lives.
The propose Online Medical Diagnosis and Consultancy System is meant to diagnose various diseases in an expert system such as Malaria, Typhoid, Cholera, Ebola etc. Fuzzy logic is chosen as the artificial intelligence tool employed in the proposed system because it is one of the most efficient qualitative computation methods.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this project is to design and implement an online Medical Diagnosis and Consultancy System. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Diagnose and display accurate result from the selected symptom selected by the patient;
- Reduce the risks associated with self-medication, wrong and delayed diagnosis;
- Help return the skills of an expert medical doctor in event of eventualities;
- Formulate an intelligence diagnosis system and easy diagnosis of illness; and
- Reduce the stress and inconveniences experienced by potential patients and not meeting with the doctor on the days of visit.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research work will provide a reliable way of handling patient diagnosis as the result are gotten from well know medical institution. This research work which will be deployed online will be readily available to everyone not able to access a professional consultant or health practitioners.
Furthermore, it will aids structural document representation of drugs and symptoms for all disease cover in this system. This research will also contribute to existing literature in this area and will serve as a guild or blueprint for an undergraduate student.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Design and Implementation of an Online Medical Diagnosis and Consultancy System using Echochin Hospital 9th Mile Enugu as a case study. The proposed system will cover only disease and their symptoms stated below.
MALARIA:
Symptoms of Malaria
- Fever
- Headache
- Weakness
- Myalgia or Muscle pain
- Arthralgia or Joint Pain
- Anorexia or Lack of appetite
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Chills or Cold
CHOLERA
Symptoms:
- Watery diarrhea
- Volume depletion or dehydration
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain or stomach pain
- Lethargy or Laziness or Fatigue
TYPHOID
Symptoms:
- High fever
- Dull frontal headache
- Abdominal pain
- Anorexia: eating disorder and weight loss
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Malaise or fatigue
- Chills
YELLOW FEVER
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Conjunctiva injection or red eyes
- Relative bradycardia or slow heart beat
- Jaundice or yellowish skin
- Hemorrhagic diathesis or bleeding
- Hypotension or low blood pressure
- Hypotension
- Lethargy or laziness or fatigue
- Vomiting
EBOLA
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Severe headache
- Muscle pain
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal (stomach) pain
- Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
TUBERCULOSIS
Signs and symptoms of active TB include:
- Coughing that lasts three or more weeks.
- Coughing up blood.
- Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing.
- Unintentional weight loss.
- Fatigue.
- Fever.
- Night sweats.
- Chills.
The system will not incorporate in its development all the functions of a diagnosis system but will focus only on the aforementioned functionalities. The system will not be responsible for any loss of data if its environment (network/system installed on) is corrupt.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.8 Definition of Terms
Diagnosis:
It is the act or process of identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disease injury through evaluation, examination review of a patient laboratory data
OMDS:
Online medical diagnosis system
Prescription:
A prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other qualified health care practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient.
Symptom:
A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is apparent to a patient, reflecting the presence of an unusual state or of a disease.
Administration:
An administration is the act of giving a drug to somebody or a patient. (for example the administration of antibiotics).
Information:
Information is used to tell someone that they are wrong about something.
Patient Data:
This is the patient medical records such as; name, address, and phone number.
1.9 Chapter Layout
This section was put in place to explain what each chapter does;
Chapter one introduces the project to the reader by explaining the problems the project is supposed to solve, objective of the study and research justification is to describe to the reader the purpose and the importance of researching on this topic, research methodology is all about the method used in implementing the research work, scope and limitation describes the boundary of the research work and where the project work can be put into use.
Chapter two deals with the literature review and state-of-the-art.This chapter discusses literature review, what people have published related to this research work and their shortcoming, how this present research can improve their shortcomings.
Chapter three deals with the system design methodology i.e. collection of tools methods and practices for achieving a task; the requirement specification states the expectation of the system analysis, and design which is the blueprint of what the system would carry out.
Chapter four has to do with the implementation, system testing strategies, target computer system requirement, software maintenance etc.
Chapter five discusses the recommendations and conclusion part of the research work and how this work can be applied to the problem domain.
