CLINICIANS' KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM FOR GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER

THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING AN INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM THAT PRACTICING PHYSICIANS CAN EASILY AND RAPIDLY ACCESS FOR INFORMATION FROM THE MEDICAL LITERATURE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THEIR DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC DECISIONS, AND TO ASSESS THE UTILITY TO PHYSICIANS OF SUCH A SYSTEM. THE KNOWLEDGE BASE WILL BE A COMBINATION OF CORE KNOWLEDGE, DERIVED FROM LEADING AUTHORITATIVE SUBSPECIALTY TEXTBOOKS, PLUS INTEGRATED UPDATING OF INFORMATION FROM THE CURRENT LITERATURE. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE, ACCESSIBLE WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF TERMINALS OR MICROCOMPUTERS. A NATURAL LANGUAGE CAPABILITY ALLOWS THE PHYSICIAN TO TYPE AN INQUIRY IN NATURAL ENGLISH AND QUICKLY RECEIVE PARAGRAPHS PROVIDED IN ORDER OF THEIR RANKED RELEVANCE TO THE QUERY. THE SYSTEM ALSO ALLOWS BROWSING WITHIN THE HIERARCHICAL CONTENTS TO FIND INFORMATION PROVIDING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DETAIL, OR TO OBTAIN CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING. THE FIRST INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE BASE WILL BE ON GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER. SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION OF ITS USEFULNESS TO PHYSICIANS WILL LEAD TO COVERAGE OF THE LARGER FIELDS OF ONCOLOGY AND GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE, AND FINALLY TO ALL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE. THE COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS INNOVATION LIES IN ITS POTENTIAL FOR BECOMING THE FIRST ROUTINE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION FOR MOST PRACTICING PHYSICIANS.