ICT in Health Care Flashcards
Components of Expert Systems
Knowledge base
Inference engine
User Interface
Advantages of Expert Systems
—The computer can store far more information than a GP. It can draw on a wide variety of sources such as stored knowledge from books, case studies to help in diagnosis and advice on things such as prescriptions / symptoms
—Data can be kept up-to-date e.g. adding more results of radiology scans / constant updating
—The expert system is always available 24 hours a day
—Will never ‘retire’ - No loss of expertise
— The system can be used at a distance over a network. Therefore rural areas or even
poorer third world countries have access to experts
—Provides accurate predictions with probabilities of all possible problems with more
accurate advice especially for obscure illnesses
—Some people prefer the privacy of ‘talking’ to a computer rather than talking to a GP
—Gives the doctor more time to deal with other patients / saves overloading doctors in
epidemic/pandemic / more time to deal with serious cases
—It can help train young doctors in unfamiliar diseases.
—People can do an initial diagnosis from home saving them travel and time costs especially if in a rural area or have long waiting lists to see a GP, e.g. if you suspect your child has a rash you could quickly check the symptoms for meningitis
—Cheaper to update than to train doctors
Disadvantages of Expert Systems
—Over reliance on IT system / Loss of doctor expertise
—Cost to buy and set up the system
—Some people do not like to talk to a computer
—People can convince themselves that they are worse than they are from misusing the online version
—Lacks the ‘human touch’ – lack of personal contact
—Dependent upon the correct information being given. If data or rules are wrong, the wrong
advice could be given. / GIGO
—Expert systems have no “common sense”. They have no understanding of what they are for, nor of what the limits of their applicability are, nor of how their recommendations fit into a larger context. If MYCIN were told that a patient who has received a gunshot wound
is bleeding to death, the program would attempt to diagnose a bacterial cause for the patient’s symptoms
—Expert systems can make absurd errors, such as prescribing an obviously incorrect
dosage of a drug for a patient whose weight and age are accidentally swapped by the
clerk.
Sensors: Advantage
—Allows 24/7 monitoring
—Alarms sounding
—Frees up staff
—Accurate reading / recording
—Spotting trends in patient symptoms
—Allows remote monitoring of patients
—New born babies and wristbands to prevent being taken from the ward.
Sensors: Disadvantage
—Calibration needed to check accuracy.
—-Lack of human interaction
—-Expensive to purchase
Define:MRI
Provide a tremendous level of detail on tissue information, i.e. very good for detecting brain
tumours.
Define: CAT
Produces a complete 3D model of a patient’s bones and internal organs.
Advantages of Scanning Devices
—Allows (accurate) diagnosis without the need for surgery
—Leads to faster recovery
—Removes the danger of post operative infections.
—Surgeon better prepared as knows what he is going to find before cutting open the body
Disadvantages of Scanning Devices
—Expensive to purchase or to run
—Can be claustrophobic
—Have to keep still for long periods in MRI
—Health risks – increased risk of cancer for staff
—Patients with pacemakers and metallic limbs cannot go through scanners
—Need for expert training / interpretation
Advantages of Blood Tracking
—Blood bar coding allows the tracking of blood from its donation to its use.
—Bracelet with a barcode worn by patient is matched with bar code on the blood bag / donor.
—Can track a patient / donor if given bad blood (CJD, hepatitis, cross contamination).
—Better stock control of the blood.
—Makes sure patient gets the right type.
Disadvantages of Blood Tracking
—Damaged bar codes can cause delays
