Systems and methods for programming implantable medical devices

1. A method of programming an implantable medical device comprising:

gathering parameter data representing a set of previously programmed parameter values from a plurality of implanted medical devices;

performing association analysis on the parameter data to form a set of association rules; and

suggesting parameter choices to a system user regarding a specific patient based on the set of association rules.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at least one parameter choice from a system user, wherein suggesting parameter choices to a system user is based on an association rule that includes the at least one parameter choice from the system user as an antecedent.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining information regarding the specific patient, wherein suggesting parameter choices to a system user is based on the association rules and the information regarding the specific patient.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein suggesting parameter choices to a system user is based on an association rule that includes the information regarding the specific patient as an antecedent.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the specific patient is obtained from at least one of the implantable medical device, a system user, or an electronic medical record.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping together parameter data reflecting changes made within the same programming session for particular patients.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping together parameter data reflecting changes made over nominal parameter values for particular devices.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping together parameter data based on parameters related to a particular device functionality.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subdividing the parameter data into patient characteristic groups based on at least one of patient characteristic and patient outcome data.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

subdividing the parameter data into patient groups based on at least one of patient characteristic and patient outcome data;

selecting an appropriate subdivided patient group associated with a positive outcome based on at least one characteristic of the patient being treated by the system user; and

suggesting parameter choices based on the association rules for the patient being treated by the system user.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing one or more post-processing operations after performing association analysis and before suggesting parameter choices.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein post-processing operations include cross-referencing association rules derived during association analysis against a domain knowledge base.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein post-processing operations include updating a domain knowledge base using association rules derived during association analysis.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein post-processing operations include selecting a subset of association rules derived during association analysis based upon at least one of user input and data from a domain knowledge base.

15. A method of programming an implantable medical device comprising:

gathering parameter data representing a set of previously programmed parameter values from a plurality of implanted medical devices;

gathering outcome data representing the effects achieved by the previously programmed parameter values from the plurality of implanted medical devices;

linking the parameter data with the corresponding outcome data to form a master data set;

performing association analysis on the master data set to form a set of parameter/outcome association rules; and

suggesting parameter choices to a system user regarding a specific patient based on the set of association rules.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising

receiving parameter choices from a system user for treatment of a patient; and

issuing a warning to the system user if the received parameter choices are associated with a negative outcome according to the parameter/outcome association rules.

17. The method of claim 15 , the outcome data comprising at least one of percent cardiac pacing time, percent BiV pacing time, percent RV pacing time, AF burden, heart rate variability, patient symptom data, therapy response data, LV efficiency, hypertension data, decompensation events, number of shocks administered, number of arrhythmia episodes, survival rate, lead impedance data, and intrinsic amplitudes.

18. A medical system comprising:

a server comprising a processor and a memory module, the server configured to perform association analysis on a set of data representing previously programmed parameter values from a plurality of implanted medical devices to derive a set of association rules; and

a device for programming an implantable medical device, the device including a user interface, the device configured to suggest parameter choices to a system user regarding a specific patient based on the derived set of association rules.

19. The medical system of claim 18 , wherein the device for programming is configured to receive at least one parameter choice from a system user through the user interface, wherein suggested parameter choices to the system user are based on an association rule that includes the at least one parameter choice from the system user as an antecedent.

20. The medical system of claim 18 , the system further configured to perform one or more post-processing operations after the server performs association analysis and before the device for programming an implantable medical device suggests parameter choices; the one or more post-processing operations including cross-referencing association rules derived during association analysis against a domain knowledge base.