Medical Term Normalization via Multi-Language Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural language processing systems face challenges in normalizing medical terms across different languages, particularly with colloquialisms and multiple terms referring to the same condition, which hinders consistent recognition and analysis of medical records.
Innovation Solution
A method involving translating medical input terms into target languages and then back into the source language to generate a list of standard versions, scored for probability, to identify the most standard term for processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple colloquial terms are used to describe the same medical condition in different languages, then the system can accommodate diverse user input, but the system cannot consistently recognize and process these terms as referring to the same condition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses translation as an intermediary mechanism to bridge colloquial terms across different languages. By translating input terms through multiple languages and back to the source language, the system identifies standardized medical terminology that represents the same medical condition regardless of the original colloquial expression, thus achieving consistent recognition while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary translation and normalization actions before actual medical record processing. By pre-translating terms through multiple languages and scoring potential standard terms, the system prepares standardized terminology in advance, ensuring reliable and consistent recognition during subsequent processing operations
2Measurement precision
If a natural language processing system uses standardized medical terminology, then processing consistency and accuracy are improved, but the system becomes less accessible to users who speak different languages or use colloquial terms
Solution Approach 1:
Translation serves as an intermediary that allows users to input terms in their native language or colloquial expressions while the system processes everything in standardized terminology. The multi-language translation process acts as a bridge between user-friendly input and precision-required processing
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring users to learn and use standardized medical terminology, the system inverts the approach by accepting any user-friendly term and automatically translating it to the standardized version through multi-language processing, thus maintaining both accessibility and precision
3Measurement precision
If the system translates terms through multiple languages to find standard versions, then term normalization accuracy is improved, but the processing time and computational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs translation through multiple languages (excessive action) to ensure high accuracy in term normalization. By translating through more languages than strictly necessary and scoring multiple potential standard terms, the system achieves superior normalization accuracy at the cost of increased processing time
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus are presented for receiving a medical or medical condition related input term or phrase in a source language, and translating the term or phrase from the source language into at least one target language to obtain a set of translated terms of the input term. For each translated term in the set of translations, the method and apparatus further translate the set of translations back into the source language to obtain an output list of standard versions of the input term, scoring each entry of the output list as to probability of being the most standard version of the input term, and providing the entry of the output list that has the highest score to a user.