Cited by 26Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and EducationArtificial Intelligence in HealthcareMachine Learning in Healthcare

APLUS: A Python library for usefulness simulations of machine learning models in healthcare

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Wornow, Michael, Gyang Ross, Elsie, Callahan, Alison, Shah, Nigam H.·2023·Journal of Biomedical Informatics

Abstract

Despite the creation of thousands of machine learning (ML) models, the promise of improving patient care with ML remains largely unrealized. Adoption into clinical practice is lagging, in large part due to disconnects between how ML practitioners evaluate models and what is required for their successful integration into care delivery. Models are just one component of care delivery workflows whose constraints determine clinicians' abilities to act on models' outputs. However, methods to evaluate the usefulness of models in the context of their corresponding workflows are currently limited. To bridge this gap we developed APLUS, a reusable framework for quantitatively assessing via simulation the utility gained from integrating a model into a clinical workflow. We describe the APLUS simulation engine and workflow specification language, and apply it to evaluate a novel ML-based screening pathway for detecting peripheral artery disease at Stanford Health Care.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jbi.2023.104319

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  • Clinical workflows are capacity constrained-a nursing team may only be able to act on a handful of model predictions per day.

    “In reality, clinical workflows are capacity constrained—a nursing team may only be able to act on a handful of model predictions per day79,80.”
  • The authors contribute three novel elements to existing testing and evaluation regimens: pre-deployment ethical review for identification of stakeholder value mismatches, financial sustainability analysis, and the use of simulation to estimate achievable benefit under a given work capacity.

    “We contribute three novel elements to existing testing and evaluation regimens: pre-deployment ethical review for identification of stakeholder value mismatches, financial sustainability analysis, and the use of simulation to estimate achievable benefit under a given work capacity 9 .”
  • By freely sharing the assessment process, underlying methods, and open source tools used to quantify realizable benefits, the authors make it possible for other healthcare systems to conduct actionable evaluations of candidate AI systems.

    “By freely sharing the assessment process, underlying methods 12 and open source tools 9 used to quantify realizable benefits, we make it possible for other healthcare systems to conduct actionable evaluations of candidate AI systems.”

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References 62 · Cited by 26

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Authors
Wornow, M., Gyang Ross, E., Callahan, A., & Shah, N. H.
Affiliations
  • Stanford University (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
  • Stanford Health Care (US)
Corresponding author
Wornow, Michael
Venue
Journal of Biomedical Informatics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2023-03
Volume
139
Pages
104319
ISSN
1532-0464 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4320487057
Cited by
26
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 5
FWCI
1.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Biomedical Informatics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
  • National Science Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Health Informatics › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Machine Learning in Healthcare
Keywords
Aplus, clinical workflow integration, clinical decision support, simulation engine
MeSH terms
Machine Learning, Computer Simulation, Delivery of Health Care, Humans, Language, Workflow

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