Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/38693
Title: Innovative informatics methods for process mining in health care
Authors: Munoz-Gama, Jorge
MARTIN, Niels 
Fernandez-Llatas, Carlos
Johnson, Owen A.
Sepúlveda, Marcos
Issue Date: 2022
Source: JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS, (Art N° 104203)
Status: Early view
Abstract: Process mining is an emerging discipline which encompasses a wide variety of methods to extract process-related knowledge from process execution data recorded by information systems [1]. Process mining methods are often used for discovering treatment trajectories with their associated clinical outcomes, and assessing the adherence of a treatment trajectory to a normative process model such as a clinical pathway [1–3]. In this special issue, innovative methods use process mining to determine the adherence to clinical guidelines [4] and take process data-driven decisions on the resources needed for new hospital facilities [5]. Within a health care context, normative process models include clinical pathways and computer-interpretable guidelines [2,3]. The data that logs the actual execution of tasks, which is used as the starting point for process mining is typically readily available in health information systems such as electronic medical records [3]. However, unlike other domains, in health care there is an enormous variation of the treatment trajectory among patients, especially if the decision-making semantics is considered rather than the simple high-level workflow of diagnosis-management-and secondary prevention. Such decision making involves complex arguments in favor and against different care options, which are far beyond simple decisions that rely on a single parameter value [6]. Despite the challenging variation that is an inherent nature of health care processes, process mining methods offer great potential, given the significant societal relevance of methods aimed at improving the health care system [7]. In particular, the generated process-related insights can be leveraged by health care professionals to identify areas for process improvement [3]. As a consequence, the development ofv innovative methods for process mining in health care is of great interest to both research and society. To advance and document the state-of-the-art on process mining in health care, the Journal of Biomedical Informatics organized a special issue on the topic “Innovative informatics methods for process mining in health care”. After a thorough review process, from among 42 sub-missions, 12 articles were accepted for inclusion in the special issue: nine original research articles, and three special communications. Table 1 provides an overview of the accepted articles, structured by the topic of their contribution. This overview shows that the special issue covers a wide spectrum of the field: a systematic literature review and characterization of the field to get a better understanding of the inter-section of process mining and health care (two articles), methodologies to apply process mining in health care (two articles), innovative methods to use process mining to analyze the specific domains of clinical pathways (two articles) and capacity management (two articles), articles that explore process mining techniques beyond discovery, such as conformance and enhancement (two articles), and finally articles on how to gain explainable insights into health care processes, one of the strong points of process mining compared to other computer science disciplines (two articles). The remainder of this editorial will elaborate on the variety of topics covered within this special issue
Keywords: Process Mining;Health Care
Document URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/38693
ISSN: 1532-0464
e-ISSN: 1532-0480
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2022.104203
ISI #: 000870989100007
Rights: 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Category: A2
Type: Journal Contribution
Appears in Collections:Research publications

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