Modeling of Patient Treatment Seeking Behavior after Bioterrorism Attack: Rationale for Data Sources Integration and Simulation Parameters Selection

Bioterrorism attack early detection and response have been foci of the research and developmental in public health informatics. In order to better understand the behavior model that person seeking care after onset of symptom, we developed a theoretically based cognitive model for patient treatment seeking behavior. We include personal awareness, severity of the symptoms, demographical factors, socioeconomic factors, lay referral networks and decision efficacy as the determinant factors for person seeking treatment after onset of symptoms. Our interest is on the interaction between the infected person and his external circumstances that lead to the production of recorded data. According to the model, possible data sources and their usability are discussed. Little research has been conducted on obtaining observational data at ideal level of granularities for computer based early detection system modeling. We conclude that it is theoretically rational using the non-traditional data source as the input for early detection system. It is possible to create a proactive model for early alert and preparedness of possible Bioterrorism attack. The current model will lead us to build parameterized models for computer-based bioterrorism attack simulation and design high fidelity detection algorithms. Impending research topics can be about the pattern of the web queries under the explanation of the model