Heuristic Programming Project May 1984 Report No. HPP 84-27

Researchers in the development of medical expert systems have Increasingly recognized the Importance of explanation capabilities in encouraging the acceptance of their programs. One survey of potential users of medical advice systems has suggested that explanation may be the single most important capability of an acceptable clinical decision tool (16). Good explanations serve four functions in a consultation system: 111 they provide a method for examining the program's reasoning if errors arise when the system is being built; 121 they assure users that the reasoning is logical, thereby increasing user acceptance of the system; 131 they may persuade users that unexpected advice is appropriate; and 141 they can educate users in areas where their knowledge may be weak.