Making the best of data derived from a daily practice in clinical legal medicine for research and practice - the example of Spe3dLab
This addresses the problem of insufficient evidence in forensic science for practitioners and researchers, though it is incremental as it applies existing data analysis methods to a new domain.
The paper tackles the lack of high-quality studies in forensic science by developing Spe3dLab, an open-source software for analyzing observational data from clinical practice, resulting in a predictive model for functional impairment with 99.9% specificity and 90% sensitivity based on 2,892 patients.
Forensic science suffers from a lack of studies with high-quality design, such as randomized controlled trials (RCT). Evidence in forensic science may be of insufficient quality, which is a major concern. Results from RCT are criticized for providing artificial results that are not useful in real life and unfit for individualized prescription. Various sources of collected data (e.g. data collected in routine practice) could be exploited for distinct goals. Obstacles remain before such data can be practically accessed and used, including technical issues. We present an easy-to-use software dedicated to innovative data analyses for practitioners and researchers. We provide 2 examples in forensics. Spe3dLab has been developed by 3 French teams: a bioinformatics laboratory (LaTIM), a private partner (Tekliko) and a department of forensic medicine (Jean Verdier Hospital). It was designed to be open source, relying on documented and maintained libraries, query-oriented and capable of handling the entire data process from capture to export of best predictive models for their integration in information systems. Spe3dLab was used for 2 specific forensics applications: i) the search for multiple causal factors and ii) the best predictive model of the functional impairment (total incapacity to work, TIW) of assault survivors. 2,892 patients were included over a 6-month period. Time to evaluation was the only direct cause identified for TIW, and victim category was an indirect cause. The specificity and sensitivity of the predictive model were 99.9% and 90%, respectively. Spe3dLab is a quick and efficient tool for accessing observational, routinely collected data and performing innovative analyses. Analyses can be exported for validation and routine use by practitioners, e.g., for computer-aided evaluation of complex problems. It can provide a fully integrated solution for individualized medicine.