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A software program that uses fuzzy logic to make decisions as a human expert in a specific knowledge domain.
EXPERT SYSTEM
EXPERTEXPERT
KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERKNOWLEDGE ENGINEER
KNOWLEDGE BASE
KNOWLEDGE BASE
In this case, doctors are the experts in the medical fields
Experts pass on the information for knowledge engineers in order to build
the knowledge base.
Information in the knowledge base is used by the inference engine to make a decision
USERS
USERS
USER INTERFAC
E
USER INTERFAC
E
INFERENCE ENGINEINFERENCE ENGINEThe input made by the user will be processed
into a readable way by computers
People with any illness
Where patients will be able to introduce their symptoms
INPUT
KNOWLEDGE BASE
KNOWLEDGE BASE
INFERENCE ENGINEINFERENCE ENGINE
Inference engine uses the information in the knowledge base in order to judge the input made by the user. This creates an output; which is the answer made.
PROCESS
USERS
USERS
USER INTERFAC
E
USER INTERFAC
E
INFERENCE ENGINEINFERENCE ENGINEInference engine sends the answer
(output) back to the user interface.
The user interface reveals the diagnosis made by the software
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 2
One advantage of medical expert systems is that it is a safer way for a doctor to treat ill patients. For example, a doctor will not risk himself into getting an illness because the appointment of the patient can be done via telephone since an expert system which simulates a human’s judging.
Another advantage is that medical expert systems can help a doctor diagnose the illness of a patient. This is because the doctor might make his own diagnose and the expert system will aid it by asking protocol or other questions, which humans may forget.
People are likely to get sick at any time of the day. Therefore, a medical expert system brings up the advantage of being available 24/7, rather than waiting for a doctor for hours or until next day. So patients have the advantage of getting a diagnosis at any time of the day; this could help them to get medicine fast enough to stop them from getting sicker.
Learning about medicine is a long process and doctors need to be updated with all the new discoveries in medicine. Learning all of this could be time consuming and expensive. Therefore, expert systems have the advantage that extra information can be easily updated or added into the knowledge base. Also, since it keeps a knowledge base it is not likely to forget the information, like a human might do. LEADS TO SAVE MONEY.
One disadvantage of any expert system is that in order for it to work it might be necessary LAN and a user interface, therefore electricity; ISP and modem; and a computer (user interface) it is needed. In many places of the world, like Africa, people do not have access to electricity near their homes. Therefore, this makes it impossible for expert systems to work. They are not accessible in all parts of the world.
All patients have different ways through which their bodies respond, but an expert system might not have its database completely and therefore miss out some variables which really suit the patient. Also, since there is no common sense used in order to diagnose the patient this might lead for the software to accuracy problems.
Another disadvantage might be that knowers (doctors) might not have the right technological skills to introduce the information into the knowledge base. This might lead to concerns of reality, to what extent is the knowledge base trustworthy? Also, we need to take into account that expert systems are made by humans and therefore they are likely to have an error.
Updating the knowledge database might be time consuming and expensive (if hiring a knowledge engineer) and so diagnosis might be incorrect or not as precise as it should be. (once again it is referring to the reliability of the data. People can not over trust what medical expert systems say.
