Process-based Multi-agent Architecture in Home Care

Utilization of procedural knowledge in the form of organizational processes and formalized medical guidelines can be useful in decision support systems (DSSs) in health care domain. The problem of using this form of knowledge arises when a multi-agent paradigm is to be applied in a DSS due to differences in specification of behavioural models of agents and process formalisms. In this work we continue in enhancing a novel process-based multi- agent architecture and demonstrate its integration into an existing DSS (K4care) focused on home care. We analysed available documentation of the complex system K4Care and identified possible mutual common functionalities of implemented multi-agent system with the new architecture. These were the entry points, using which we further enhanced the K4Care platform with respect to the process-based multi-agent architecture. The analysis proved that the integration is not only possible, but thanks to the general design of the process-based multi-agent architecture can be done with only small changes in the existing K4Care model. Immediate improvements in supporting human experts were identified and possible further improvements of the system were discussed. Adopting the process-based multi-agent architecture can be beneficial even for existing DSSs and can open new possible features emerging from the multi-agent paradigm.