title: Using a business rule management system to improve disposition of traumatized patients.
abstract: We propose a business rule management system that is used to optimize the dispatchment on a mass casualty incident. Using geospatial information from available ambulances and rescue helicopters, a business rule engine calculates an optimized transportation plan for injured persons. It automatically considers special needs like ambulances equipped for baby transportation or special decontamination equipment, e.g. to deal with an accident in a chemical factory. The rules used in the system are not hardcoded; thus, it is possible to redefine them on the fly without changing the program's source code. It is possible to load and save a rule set in case of a catastrophe. Furthermore, it is possible to automatically recalculate an already planned operation if it becomes clear that the rescue vehicles assigned are needed by a person with life-threatening injuries.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Muenster, Department of Medical Informatics, and University of Muenster, Department of Information Systems, Muenster, Germany. neuhaus@imfl.de
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Noack
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Majchrzak
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Uckert
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*