A formal specification in B of a medical decision support system

  • Authors:

  • Christine Poerschke;David E. Lightfoot;John L. Nealon

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Computing, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK;Department of Computing, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK;Department of Computing, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

  • Venue:
  • ZB'03 Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Formal specification and development in Z and B
  • Year:
  • 2003

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Abstract

We have used the B notation to formally specify an existing medical decision support system. The system runs on a palmtop computer and helps patients with insulin-dependent diabetes decide on a dose of insulin to inject. Using extracts we both qualitatively and quantitatively describe the formal specification and compare it with the existing C/C++ implementation of the system. We also report our experience of the specification process, the benefits derived from and the challenges presented by it. We conclude that the use of an abstract machine notation such as B for the formal specification and documentation of a knowledge-based medical decision support system is both feasible and viable. This paper is divided into five sections. Section 1 briefly describes the actual application that was specified as well as the context in which it is used. Given this background, Section 2 looks at the motivations behind and the aims of this project. Section 3 concerns the actual specification, whilst Section 4 considers the process of producing the specification. The final section summarises and concludes the paper.