Report 80 34 The Computer and Therapeutic Decision Stanford Making . Edward H. ail it

To be presented at the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Drug Information Association, Kansas City, Missouri, June 16, 1982. Edward H. Shortliffe, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine and Computer Science Heuristic Programming Project Department of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, California 94305 To be presented at the Eighteenth Annual Meeting of the Drug Information Association Kansas City, Missouri 16 June 1982 ABSTRACT The trend towards increased use of computer-based symbolic reasoning techniques for clinical decision making programs stems from the dual goals of improving the performance and increasing the acceptance of such systems. This talk will summarize the design considerations that have encouraged some recent investigators to turn to artificial intelligence techniques when'bJllding consultation systems. Some of the recent experimental consultation systems are less concerned with reaching correct diagnoses than with advising physicians un optimal treatment strategies for patients with known serious ..',Iscases. Examples for discussion will be drawn from (1) the MYCIN system, a consultation program to advise physicians on the selection of antimicrobials for patients with bacteremia or meningitis, and (2) ONCOCIN, a recently developed program for advising oncologists on therapy adjustment in the manarement of patients enrolled in cancer chemotherapy protocols.