Basing Graphical Illustrations on Private Medical Information

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling graphical illustration of private medical information are provided. A subgroup defining input may be received, the subgroup defining input may define a subgroup of a group of patients. A statistical query about the subgroup of the group of patients may be received. A size of the subgroup of the group of patients may be determined. The determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients may be compared with a selected subgroup size threshold. In response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being larger than the selected subgroup size threshold, first information may be provided, and in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being smaller than the selected subgroup size threshold, providing the first information may be forwent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a software program comprising data and computer implementable instructions for carrying out a method for enabling graphical illustration based on private medical information, the method comprising:
 receiving a subgroup defining input, the subgroup defining input is based on a first input from a user and defines a subgroup of a group of patients;   receiving a statistical query about the subgroup of the group of patients, the statistical query is based on a second input from the user;   determining a size of the subgroup of the group of patients;   comparing the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients with a selected subgroup size threshold;   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being larger than the selected subgroup size threshold, providing first information, the first information is based on the statistical query and configured to enable a presentation of a graphical illustration of an estimated property of the subgroup of the group of patients in response to the second input from the user; and   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being smaller than the selected subgroup size threshold, forgoing providing the first information.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises randomly selecting the subgroup size threshold from a distribution of thresholds. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the subgroup of the group of patients including a first patient, selecting a first value for the subgroup size threshold; and   in response to the subgroup of the group of patients not including the first patient, selecting a second value for the subgroup size threshold, the second value differs from the first value.   
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the property of the subgroup of the group of patients being of a first type, selecting a first value for the subgroup size threshold; and   in response to the property of the subgroup of the group of patients being of a second type, selecting a second value for the subgroup size threshold, the second value differs from the first value.   
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the subgroup size threshold based on the user. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the subgroup size threshold based on at least one previous statistical query about the subgroup of the group of patients. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 obtaining a privacy parameter;   selecting at least one noise value based on the obtained privacy parameter; and   combining the at least one noise value with an actual property of the subgroup of the group of patients to determine the estimated property of the subgroup of the group of patients.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to a first determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients, selecting a first value for the privacy parameter; and   in response to a second determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients, selecting a second value for the privacy parameter, the second value differs from the first value.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the subgroup of the group of patients including a first patient, selecting a first value for the privacy parameter; and   in response to the subgroup of the group of patients not including the first patient, selecting a second value for the privacy parameter, the second value differs from the first value.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to a the property of the subgroup of the group of patients being of a first type, selecting a first value for the privacy parameter; and   in response to the property of the subgroup of the group of patients being of a second type, selecting a second value for the privacy parameter, the second value differs from the first value.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the privacy parameter based on the user. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the privacy parameter based on at least one previous statistical query about the subgroup of the group of patients. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 after forgoing providing the first information, receiving an indication that an update to a status of the user occurred;   in response to the update to the status of the user, providing the first information.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving an indication that an update to the group of patients caused an update to the subgroup defined by the subgroup defining input;   determining a size of the updated subgroup;   comparing the determined size of the updated subgroup with a selected second subgroup size threshold;   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being smaller than the selected subgroup size threshold and the determined size of the updated subgroup being larger than the selected second subgroup size threshold, providing second information, the second information is based on the statistical query and configured to enable a presentation of a graphical illustration of an estimated property of the updated subgroup;   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being larger than the selected subgroup size threshold, forgoing providing the second information; and   in response to the determined size of the updated subgroup being smaller than the selected second subgroup size threshold, forgoing providing the second information.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 after providing the first information, receiving an indication that an update to the group of patients caused an update to the subgroup defined by the subgroup defining input;   determining a size of the updated subgroup;   comparing the determined size of the updated subgroup with a selected second subgroup size threshold;   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being larger than the selected subgroup size threshold and the determined size of the updated subgroup being larger than the selected second subgroup size threshold, providing second information, the second information is based on the statistical query and configured to enable a presentation of a graphical illustration of an estimated property of the updated subgroup; and   in response to the determined size of the updated subgroup being smaller than the selected second subgroup size threshold, forgoing providing the second information.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 after providing the first information, receiving a second subgroup defining input, the second subgroup defining input is based on a third input from the user and defines a second subgroup of the group of patients;   receiving a second statistical query about the second subgroup of the group of patients, the second statistical query is based on a fourth input from the user;   determining a size of a difference between the subgroup of the group of patients and the second subgroup of the group of patients;   in response to the determined size of the difference between the subgroup of the group of patients and the second subgroup of the group of patients being larger than a selected difference threshold, providing second information, the second information is based on the second statistical query and configured to enable a presentation of a graphical illustration of an estimated property of the second subgroup of the group of patients in response to the fourth input from the user; and   in response to the determined size of the difference between the subgroup of the group of patients and the second subgroup of the group of patients being smaller than a selected difference threshold, forgoing providing the second information.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein each patient of the subgroup of the group of patients is associated with a medical image, and the graphical illustration includes a display of an image based on the images associated with the patients of the subgroup of the group of patients. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical illustration includes a visualization of a correlation matrix between survival probabilities of patients of the subgroup of the group of patients and treatment choices associated with the patients of the subgroup of the group of patients. 
     
     
         19 . A system for enabling graphical illustration based on private medical information, the system comprising:
 at least one processing unit configured to:
 receive a subgroup defining input, the subgroup defining input is based on a first input from a user and defines a subgroup of a group of patients; 
 receive a statistical query about the subgroup of the group of patients, the statistical query is based on a second input from the user; 
 determine a size of the subgroup of the group of patients; 
 compare the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients with a selected subgroup size threshold; 
 in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being larger than the selected subgroup size threshold, provide first information, the first information is based on the statistical query and configured to enable a presentation of a graphical illustration of an estimated property of the subgroup of the group of patients in response to the second input from the user; and 
 in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being smaller than the selected subgroup size threshold, forgo providing the first information. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method for enabling graphical illustration based on private medical information, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computing device, a subgroup defining input, the subgroup defining input is based on a first input from a user and defines a subgroup of a group of patients;   receiving a statistical query about the subgroup of the group of patients, the statistical query is based on a second input from the user;   determining a size of the subgroup of the group of patients;   comparing the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients with a selected subgroup size threshold;   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being larger than the selected subgroup size threshold, providing first information, the first information is based on the statistical query and configured to enable a presentation of a graphical illustration of an estimated property of the subgroup of the group of patients in response to the second input from the user; and   in response to the determined size of the subgroup of the group of patients being smaller than the selected subgroup size threshold, forgoing providing the first information.