Responsible Use of Expert Systems in Medicine: What Can We Learn From the Pharmaceutical Experience?

Doctors have put information technology to various uses, initially for nonclinical purposes such as tilling and accounting, and subsequently for compiling and using clinical data bases. Now doctors are turning to expert systems for computer-aided diagnosis and therapy. 1 Expert systems now used in midical practice aid the diagnosis of heart rhythm, infectious disease, general medical status, and mental health. They now aid in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, hypertension, meningitis and other infectious diseases. 2 Numerous other medical applications are anticipated to he1 p doctors overcome information overload and make accurate determinations. And medical expert systems may soon be available for use by patients in the home. 3 Such uses of expert systems therefore reinforce medical practice to the benefit of patients. But they also bear potential risks for patients and subsequently, make doctors vulnerable to new medical malpractice claims