A Model for the Systematic Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Pathologic Conditions in a System or Apparatus

A model of structure for a complementary expert system to the AEDMI project (An Epidemiological Approach to Computerized Medical Diagnosis) is proposed. Starting from a diagnosis of abnormality in a system or apparatus, the model identifies the organ affected, and determines which of the possible illnesses is the one we are faced with in a particular case. The resoning is based on a tree-like structure divided into a set of three levels, assuming that greater sensitivity and less specificity of the questions, clinical variables, and the signs and symptoms to be taken into consideration is found at level I than at level III. Each time that the system is consulted for a real patient, the system offers the possibility to register all the parameters in a data base. The modules, rules, and diagnoses are registered and compared with physicians1 judgment. The study of conflicting patterns helps to analyze clinical judgment and rule-based reasoning techniques in greater depth. The system is being implemented for more than one year and the data from 825 patients introduced are being currently assessed.