Fuzzy rule-based expert system for evaluating level of asthma control.

Asthma control is a final goal of asthma therapy process. Despite outstanding progress in discovering various variables affecting asthma control levels, disregarding some of them by physicians and variables' inherent uncertainty are the major causes of underestimating of asthma control levels and as a result asthma morbidity and mortality. In this paper, we provide an intelligent fuzzy system as a solution for this problem. Inputs of this system are composed of 14 variables organized in five modules of respiratory symptoms severity, bronchial obstruction, asthma instability, current treatment, and quality of life. Output of this system is degree of asthma control defined in the score (0-10). Evaluation of performance of this system by 42 asthmatic patients at asthma, allergy, immunology research center of Emam Khomeini hospital, Tehran, Iran reinforces that the system's results not only correspond with the evaluations of experienced asthma physicians, but represents slight differences in the levels of asthma control between asthmatic patients.