Medical algorithm

A medical algorithm is any computation, formula, statistical survey, nomogram or look up table that is useful in healthcare, providing a defined procedure for turning patient information into a decision or an estimate. Some medical algorithms take the shape of a decision tree, working through a sequence of conditions such as whether particular symptoms are present and directing the user toward a specific treatment once enough of them are met, while others are less clear cut tools intended to reduce or quantify uncertainty rather than produce one definite answer. A written medical prescription is itself considered a category of medical algorithm under this definition, since it applies a defined rule to a patient's specific circumstances to arrive at a course of action. The term therefore covers a wide range of practical decision aids used throughout clinical practice, not only computer programs.