WEB COAG: a WWW-based decision-support system for diagnosis of coagulopathy.

• Abstract:
  We describe the implementation of an interactive program for teaching coagulation disorders on the World Wide Web. Since the Web is increasingly more accessible to computer users, this has become an ideal medium for teaching purpose. We have developed three modules in this program: (a) Coagulation profile to display typical results of coagulation screening tests for each disorder; (b) Differential diagnosis to generate list of diagnoses that fit the test results in a given case; (c) Synopsis of coagulopathy and therapy to provide essential information on disorders and therapeutic options.
  
  Our experience with this program in teaching medical students and pathology residents at our institution has been very encouraging.
  
  
• Development platforms:
  WEB COAG was implemented in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), a conventional language for web documents. Interactivity with users was achieved with JavaScript, a scripting language for adding dynamic features to web pages. Dynamic features allow users to interact with graphic interface components on the computer screen such as button, list, check box, etc. to retrieve the desired information. This process can be coded in HTML files in the form of JavaScript functions or subroutines. JavaScript was also used to create functions and subroutines used in the search engine for differential diagnosis. WEB COAG was installed in a Microsoft Window NT 4.0 server running Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0 in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas-Houston, Medical School.
  
  The core materials in WEB COAG were derived from those developed for XPCOAG, the personal computer software developed previously by the authors. A total of 41 coagulation disorders were included in the knowledge base of XPCOAG. The search engine in this program was based on backward-chaining inference. Further details of the components, reasoning algorithm, and validation results for XPCOAG had previously been described. Conversion of the materials from the PC-based version to the web-based version required a complete rewriting of all the PC software codes to accommodate the web medium.
  
  
• Publication:
  1. Nguyen, A.N.D., Uthman, M.O., Johnson K.A.: A Web-Based Teaching Program for Laboratory Diagnosis of Coagulation Disorders. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. 2000; 124:588-593.
  2.Nguyen, A.N.D. and Uthman, M.: XPCOAG: A Teaching Software for Laboratory Diagnosis of Coagulation Disorders. Laboratory Medicine, Vol 25, No. 6, pp 399-401, June 1994
  3. PathMax Distinction Award for June 2000 (Pathology Web sites recognized for educational content, intuitive interface, and unique or innovative design)

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