Expert Systems in Medicine: Academic Illusion or Real Power?

From the very earliest moments in the modern history of the computer, scientists have dreamed of creating advanced systems which would simulate the process of human meditation and reasoning. Of all the modern technological quests, this research to create artificially intelligent computer systems has been one of the most ambitious and fascinating. Although attempts had been made more than 30 years ago to develop and apply such systems to the medical sciences, the field languished for decades. In this framework, this paper aims to share thoughts and predictions on the important role of expert systems in Medicine and address their future as well as the trends that are foreseen in this area