Building flexible databases by using web services for computer-aided diagnosis of cardiomyopathies: from conceptual definition to usability evaluation

Larissa Terto Alvim; Vagner Mendonça Gonçalves; Fátima L. S. Nunes

doi:10.5753/jbcs.2026.5424

Authors

Larissa Terto Alvim University of São Paulo https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8706-1544
Vagner Mendonça Gonçalves University of São Paulo | Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4807-2105
Fátima L. S. Nunes University of Sao Paulo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0040-0752

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/jbcs.2026.5424

Keywords:

Computer-Aided Diagnosis, Generic Database Model, Medical Records, Medical Exams, RESTful Web Services, User Interface Usability, Cardiac MRI

Abstract

Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems based on medical images and records apply computational techniques to process data and extract features from them to provide a second opinion to the health professional. A diverse and organized set of images and records is necessary to develop and validate such systems. However, medical data are generally obtained in a non-standardized way. With each new research and development project in this area, specific data models need to be built to organize and standardize these data and enable their use in the construction of models and computational systems. This article presents a flexible and generic database modeled and implemented to persist Cardiac Magnetic Resonance exams aiming to support the development of CAD schemes of cardiomyopathies. Furthermore, a web application was developed to enable data search and retrieval from the database. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the interface usability of the web application. Results showed that it is possible to develop a generic and flexible DB model, which can be used in several CAD applications. Additionally, the implemented interface received positive evaluations on its functionalities and usability, and users were capable of performing the intended tasks with correct outcomes.

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