An Agent-Based Wellness Visualization System

Abstract

This research presents the conceptual design of a personal wellness indicator and the proof of concept. An agent-based wellness indicator is an information visualization system designed to present wellness information to people in a simple graphical format complemented by anomalies found, simple descriptions, suggestions and supporting tools. The visualization system is designed to give people a better understanding of their wellness conditions and fast access to relevant information, which could potentially help them improve their wellness levels. The wellness and decision-support information of individuals are also visualized to their caregivers by elaborating the data provided by existing resources. The wellness indicator system is constructed from an operational wellness model we developed. The model allows an automatic measuring system to calculate the wellness level for a number of indicators resulting in an overall wellness level. These results can be presented in a simple graphical format. The proof of concept is developed by utilizing the unique characteristics of software agents. The software has been evaluated by following the steps provided in the framework for testing a wellness visualization system. The evaluation is carried out by both general users and healthcare professionals. The results show positive feedback on various aspects of the wellness visualization system. In addition, the results confirm that the wellness indicator system can help people have a better understanding of their personal state of well-being and can support healthcare professionals delivering wellness services.