A hybrid Multi Agent System architecture for distributed supervision of chronic patients in the eHealth setting
Olivier Blanson Henkemans, Stefano Bonacina, N. Cappiello, Charles A.P.G. van der Mast, Neerincx, Francesco Pinciroli · 2007
eHealth, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the health sector, enhances today's health care environment. In particular, the use of Multi Agent System (MAS) technology, an aspect of ICT, can further contribute to the improvement of health care. Exceptional integration of this technology requires a Cognitive Engineering (CE) approach. Implying that the design and implementation of the architecture is done incrementally and using multiple distributed agents, which are facilitated by easy data entry, management and verification by all involved actors. Consequently, we designed a hybrid agent architecture, consisting of multiple distributed agents and a Virtual Personal Assistant that supervises patients' self-care, with chronic illness, and tested it in a laboratory setting according to the Cognitive Engineering approach. Results showed that the architecture designed meets with our requirements and the functionalities are comprehensible by the involved users. We expect that the incremental character of the developed hybrid architecture enables further development and could be applicable for the supervision of a variety of chronic diseases in the eHealth setting.