VentEx is a knowledge-based decision-support and monitoring system applied in ventilator therapy.

The VentEx system is used both for monitoring and decision-support in patients with different kinds of imminent and obvious ventilatory insufficiencies. Decision-support (the system outcomes) is based on patho-physiological state, ventilation functions and patient data, and it covers different phases of ventilator therapy, namely start (intubation), ongoing (treatment phase) and weaning (extubation). The system includes 13 basic groups of diagnoses within the area of ventilator insufficiency. The VentEx system has been built to support ventilator therapy management using knowledge-based system technology. Development started with an early prototype system called KUSIVAR, which dealt with knowledge representation and knowledge acquisition research using the Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE). A domain specific tool called KAVE was later developed to facilitate the knowledge acquisition process. Then a PC-based on-line system (VentEx) was built as an integrated knowledge-based system in the clinical environment using Nexpert Object. Results of the evaluation work indicate the usefulness of KAVE, and there was a high consensus between the doctors and VentEx according to a gold standard.

Evaluation: Real patient data has been used to validate the knowledge-base and a study to measure the impact of the system is ongoing. Evaluation results indicate a high consensus between the doctors and VentEx according to a gold standard. VentEx is now being evaluated in the field. A multi-center evaluation phase has just started in which three intensive care units are participating to evaluate the effects of VentEx on patients, users and on the organization.

VentEx is a hospital based system.

VentEx was developed in cooperation with Medical Intensive Care Unit, Sodersjukhuset, Stockholm, Siemens Elema AB and Department of Medical Informatics, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden.