An Ontology-Based Framework for Real-Time Collection and Visualization of Mobile Field Triage Data in Mass Gatherings

Managing mass gathering events is a complex process. A key factor in successful management of mass gatherings is the availability of real-time data about the situation. This data is very useful in making important decisions that can potentially be life saving. In this paper, we propose an ontology-based framework for real-time collection and visualization of on field mobile triage data. The proposed framework uses a mobile device-assisted triage decision making system (iTriage). The system leverages a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to efficiently share and visualize triage data aiding mass gathering administrators in determining the exact state of the situation. Our framework is driven by a domain ontology for mass gathering ensuring consistency in the shared data. We demonstrate a prototype implementation of the iTriage system on android-based mobile devices. Our experimental evaluations validate the iTriage system´s ability to accurately compute patient priorities based on the triage sieve algorithm. Further, we demonstrate the capability of the proposed framework to visualize triage data on a map in real time.