The widespread impact of
thyroid disease and its diagnosis is a challenging task for healthcare
experts. The conventional technique for predicting such a vital disease
is complex and time-consuming. A data-driven approach may offer
predictive solutions, but it relies on all relevant attributes, which
are computationally expensive. Hence, we propose a novel machine
learning (ML) based disease prediction system that could potentially
predict it by considering three crucial steps. First, to reduce the
dimension of the dataset, three feature selection techniques were
employed, including Feature Importance (FIS), Information Gain
Selections (IGS), and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator
(LAS). Moreover, recommended medical references were considered while
developing a feature set having the identical attributes as High-Risk
Factors (HRF). Second, the models, including the Three Stage Hybrid
Classifier (3SHC) and the Three Stage Hybrid Artificial Neural Network (3SHANN), are used as classifiers on the training data set. Third, a Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) to the 3SHC
with the HRF samples was applied to individually explain the
predictions. Then, the overall behaviors of both gender and age
categories were explored with the help of a Partial Dependence Plot
(PDP). Finally, the proposed system is validated with extensive
experiments where the 3SHC achieves an accuracy (ACC)
of 99.29%, which can play a crucial role in preventing thyroid disease
and alleviating stress in the healthcare sector.