An Interactive Tool for Natural Language Processing on Clinical Text

Abstract: NLP systems often make use of machine learning techniques that are unfamiliar to end-users who are interested in analyzing clinical records. Although NLP has been widely used in extracting information from clinical text, current systems generally do not support model revision based on feedback from domain experts. We present a prototype tool that allows end users to visualize and review the outputs of an NLP system that extracts binary variables from clinical text. Our tool combines multiple visualizations to help the users understand these results and make any necessary corrections, thus forming a feedback loop and helping improve the accuracy of the NLP models. We have tested our prototype in a formative think-aloud user study with clinicians and researchers involved in colonoscopy research. Results from semi-structured interviews and a System Usability Scale (SUS) analysis show that the users are able to quickly start refining NLP models, despite having very little or no experience with machine learning. Observations from these sessions suggest revisions to the interface to better support review workflow and interpretation of results.