DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPUTERIZED PROTOTYPE TO SUPPORT NURSING ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS BASED ON THE THEORY OF BASIC HUMAN NEEDS

Abstract

The Nursing Process organizes care into interconnected stages, but its computerization must preserve nurses’ clinical judgment. This study aimed to develop a computerized prototype to support nursing assessment and diagnosis, grounded in the Theory of Basic Human Needs. This methodological, applied and technological study was initiated in July 2026. Development took place in a dedicated environment, using fictitious data and without the participation of patients or external users. The prototype modeled 59 findings distributed across eight blocks, 16 basic human needs, 168 association rules and an initial catalog of 44 nursing diagnoses. The prototype underwent internal review by the developing authors regarding content organization and the coherence of the modeled rules. Exploratory functional assessment using fictitious scenarios was planned for a subsequent stage. The Planning, Implementation and Evolution stages were specified only for continued development. The prototype organizes evidence and presents diagnostic hypotheses to nurses, who remain responsible for confirming, adjusting or rejecting each hypothesis. The solution provides an initial technological basis to support the Assessment and Diagnosis stages, but requires content validation, usability testing and safety auditing before any clinical use.