  No comprehensive review of Bayesian networks (BNs) in healthcare has been
published in the past, making it difficult to organize the research
contributions in the present and identify challenges and neglected areas that
need to be addressed in the future. This unique and novel scoping review of BNs
in healthcare provides an analytical framework for comprehensively
characterizing the domain and its current state. The review shows that: (1) BNs
in healthcare are not used to their full potential; (2) a generic BN
development process is lacking; (3) limitations exists in the way BNs in
healthcare are presented in the literature, which impacts understanding,
consensus towards systematic methodologies, practice and adoption of BNs; and
(4) a gap exists between having an accurate BN and a useful BN that impacts
clinical practice. This review empowers researchers and clinicians with an
analytical framework and findings that will enable understanding of the need to
address the problems of restricted aims of BNs, ad hoc BN development methods,
and the lack of BN adoption in practice. To map the way forward, the paper
proposes future research directions and makes recommendations regarding BN
development methods and adoption in practice.
