Department of Defense Breast Cancer Decision Guide 

Laureate: Science Applications International Corporation, Amzi! Inc., and the U.S. Department of Defense (U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command)

The Department of Defense Breast Cancer Decision Guide (http://www.bcdg.org) aids medical decision-making by providing patients and family members with custom- generated information (via automated reasoning system) that is specific to an individual's breast cancer diagnosis and personal situation. The Department of Defense Breast Cancer Decision Guide (http://www.bcdg.org) is a website designed to assist breast cancer patients and their family members in medical decision-making. It does this by providing users with personalized information that can improve the understanding of a specific breast cancer diagnosis and the treatment options that are likely to apply when that diagnosis and other patient-specific factors (both medical and non-medical) are taken into account. The information technology developed for the Decision Guide's interactive consultations filters out information that is not relevant and selects all information that is relevant, including information that the user might not have known to access. It then organizes the relevant information into a concise and clearly written report that includes options for verifying that the information applies and for seeking additional information. In addition to empowering breast cancer patients and their family members with the information needed to participate in meaningful discussion and informed decision-making with physicians and other healthcare professionals, the Decision Guide demonstrates the general utility of its new technology. Web-based decision support systems that address complex medical and non-medical subject areas in "real-time" can provide the means for saving time, saving money, and saving lives. The Decision Guide is a project of the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Prevention, Education and Diagnosis Program Initiative funded by U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Contracts DAMD17-93-C-3141 and DAMD17-96-C-6131. 

Nominated By: PricewaterhouseCoopers 

Category: Government & Non-Profit Organizations

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