EXPERT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT OF A CLINICAL RECORD SYSTEM

BEGINNING OVER A DECADE AGO, UNIVERSITY PARK PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATES, P.C. DEVELOPED A BASIC COMPREHENSIVE COMPUTER-BASED RECORD SYSTEM FOR AMBULATORY CARE. THE SYSTEM CAPITALIZES ON THE TOUCH-INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC CAPABILITIES OF THE PLATO COMPUTER-AIDED INSTRUCTION SYSTEM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. ALTHOUGH IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE WAS ACHIEVED IN EVALUATION, THE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT SUITED TO DEPLOYMENT AT SITES OF CARE. THIS PROPOSAL IS TO USE EXPERT SYSTEM CAPABILITIES TO TRANSFER AND REFINE THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM. WHEN ACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE, IN TERMS OF FLEXIBILITY, COMPREHENSIVENESS, ANDSPEED AND FACILITY OF INTERACTION HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT, THE SYSTEM WILL BE MOVED TO STAND-ALONE AND/OR NETWORKED TERMINALS OF THE PERSONAL COMPUTER CLASS. SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF AN ECONOMICALLY REALISTIC SYSTEM WILL ACHIEVE A LONG-ELUSIVE OBJECTIVE FOR THE SUPPORT OF CLINICAL CARE. SECONDARY BENEFITS INCLUDE MAKING IT EASIER FOR THE PRACTIONER TO ACCESS DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MACHINE-MANIPULABLE DATABASES FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH AND QUALITY ASSURANCE.