This report should include
(1) description of the problem and the context
(30%)
(2) analysis of the requirements of the problem (30%),
(3) identification of a major software vendor and product which is a potential
solution to the problem (10%),
(4) discussion of the gaps in existing information systems approaches and
solutions to the problem (10%)
The report, composed as a Word document in 12 point and double spaced, should not exceed 15 pages. It should be justified on both sides and include page numbering, appropriate section titles, and references.
Submissions should include a hard copy of the Word document, presentation slides, and a copy on disk (to include on the course web pages), due on the day of your presentations.
Grading points:
Content: 80% (as indicated above); Style (syntax, organization, references,
etc. and presentation): 20%
Date |
Student Name |
Project Title |
The underlying
conceptual architecture of a generic decision support system is depicted in the
diagram below.
The presentation
and language systems comprise the user interface component of a DSS. They help
the user access the system (for instance, a mini electronic medical record) and
interact with it. The knowledge system is a systematically organized collection
of knowledge that is accessible electronically and interpretable by the
computer. A database, data warehouse, or a medical knowledge base consisting of
a vocabulary with relationships that capture the medical literature and expert
domain knowledge, are examples of knowledge system. The problem processing system provides a reasoning strategy
or analytical approach to harness the knowledge system. For example, drug-drug interaction
rules can be applied to a database of drugs before a transaction takes
place. Patient data in the form of
an electronic patient medical record makes up the final database component.
You will use the
Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) to implement a
healthcare-related decision support system. The project will include a written report (using Word), an
in class presentation (using PowerPoint), and a prototype application (using
Access and/or Excel). In order to
share your work with current and future classmates, you must also prepare a
simple Web page that provides access to each of these project components. Note: additional information and
instruction for web enabling your project will be provided later in the
semester.
In the past,
successful prototypes have taken advantage of Microsoft Access/Microsoft Excel
integration. For example,
Microsoft Access can serve as the database, with embedded links to Microsoft
Excel to provide the analytical decision support capabilities. An in-class tutorial on Microsoft
Office Suite integration is scheduled for March 1st. It is also possible to develop the
entire prototype DSS in Microsoft Access, but this may require some Visual
Basic for Applications coding. In
this latter case, the architectural distinctions between patient database,
knowledge base, and analysis engine are blurred, as Access integrates these
services.
The written report should be
composed in Word using 12 point, double-spaced text and should not exceed 15
pages. It should be justified on
both sides and include page numbering, appropriate section titles, and
references.
Presentation Due: when group
scheduled on April 26 or May 3
Grading points:
Content: 80%:
(1) Describe the
big picture and the context (20%),
(2) Describe your
specific problem (10%),
(3) Analyze the
decision support requirements of the problem (20%),
(4) Identify the
major components of the IT solution (10%),
(5) Examine the
solution for sample "what-if" scenarios (15%),
(6) Conclusions
and recommendations (5%)
Style (executive summary, syntax, organization, references, etc., and presentation): 20%
Date |
Student Name |
Project Title |