Missing Data Imputation Based on Dynamically Adaptable Structural Equation Modeling with Self-Attention

Abstract: Addressing missing data in complex datasets including electronic health records (EHR) is critical for ensuring accurate analysis and decision-making in healthcare. This paper proposes dynamically adaptable structural equation modeling (SEM) using a self-attention method (SESA), an approach to data imputation in EHR. SESA innovates beyond traditional SEM-based methods by incorporating self-attention mechanisms, thereby enhancing model adaptability and accuracy across diverse EHR datasets. Such enhancement allows SESA to dynamically adjust and optimize imputation and overcome the limitations of static SEM frameworks. Our experimental analyses demonstrate the achievement of robust predictive SESA performance for effectively handling missing data in EHR. Moreover, the SESA architecture not only rectifies potential mis-specifications in SEM but also synergizes with causal discovery algorithms to refine its imputation logic based on underlying data structures. Such features highlight its capabilities and broadening applicational potential in EHR data analysis and beyond, marking a reasonable leap forward in the field of data imputation.