Graphical Access to Medical Expert Systems: I. Design of a Knowledge Engineer’s Interface^[*]

 

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Summary

Optimal construction of medical expert systems demands a powerful interactive environment for knowledge base management by knowledge engineers. Key requirements include techniques for (a) examining existing information, (b) adding new knowledge and editing preexisting data structures, and (c) examining dynamic internal system behavior to facilitate debugging during consideration of actual cases. This article addresses design considerations in the development of such knowledge engineering tools. The emphasis is on the use of professional workstations with high density graphics interfaces since that technology is rapidly becoming a predominant environment for knowledge engineering activities. To illustrate the points made, examples are drawn from an experimental knowledge base management tool designed for knowledge engineers constructing the knowledge base of ONCOCIN, an expert system to advise in the management of cancer patients.

Die optimale Konstruktion medizinischer Expertensysteme erfordert ein starkes interaktives Umfeld zur Handhabung einer Faktenbank durch Faktenbanktechniker. Zu den Schlüsselforderungen gehören Techniken (a) zur Untersuchung vorliegender Informationen, (b) zum Hinzufügen neuer Erkenntnisse und zur Überarbeitung bereits existierender Datenstrukturen und (c) zur Untersuchung des Verhaltens des dynamischen internen Systems, um die Fehlerausmerzung während der Betrachtung tatsächlicher Fälle zu erleichtern. Dieser Artikel behandelt Planungserwägungen bei der Entwicklung derartiger Werkzeuge für Faktenbankexperten. Das Augenmerk liegt dabei auf der Benutzung von Arbeitsplätzen mit graphischen Schnittstellen von hoher Dichte, da sich diese Technologie in zunehmendem Maße zu einem beherrschenden Umfeld für die Aktivitäten der Faktenbanktechniker entwickelt. Um das Gesagte zu erläutern, werden Beispiele eines experimentellen Werkzeugs zur Handhabung einer Faktenbank herangezogen, geplant für die Faktenbanktechniker, die die ONCOCIN-Faktenbank konstruieren, ein Expertensystem zur Beratung bei der Behandlung von Krebspatienten.

^* This work has been supported by the National Library of Medicine under Grants LM- 03395 and LM-00048, the Office of Naval Research under Contract NR 049-479, and the Division of Research Resourcs under Grant RR-01613. Dr. Shortliffe is a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Faculty Scholar in General Internal Medicine. Computer facilities were provided by the SUMEX-AIM resource under NIH Grant RR-00785 and through an equipment gift from Xerox Corporation.

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