The role of modeling methods in medical diagnosis

A database medical diagnostic support system using standardized medical data: a pilot study

In the past two decades a wide variety of information systems have been developed to facilitate medical diagnosis, better known as medical expert systems. These systems can be divided into several methodological categories, one of which is the database approach. A problem with this approach is the difficulty in filling the knowledge base directly from the source text because of complexities of natural language. This paper discusses the development of a computer-aided medical di agnostic system using standardized symptom codes as its input. based upon the results of a comprehensive questionnaire that is filled out by the patient. Subsequently, the patient's potential disease is predicted by linking symptoms with most likely diseases. The methodology of the system is discussed and a few examples are presented, as well as directions for further devel opment of this approach to medical information processing and decision making.