Generic causal probabilistic networks: a solution to a problem of transferability in medical decision support

Causal probabilistic networks provide a natural framework for representation of medical knowledge, allowing clinical experts to encode assumptions about causal dependencies between stochastic variables. Application in medical decision support has produced promising results. However, model features and parameters may vary geo- or demographically. Therefore methods are needed that allow for easy adjustment of the model to a change in conditions. We present a method to represent causal probabilistic networks generically that maximizes the transferability of a models relevance and completeness, when moved from one environment to another, and illustrate application of the method with an example from a medical decision support system.