ICT in Health Care

Question 1

What is an Expert System?

Answer 1

An Artificial intelligence system to help diagnosis/ prescriptions

Question 2

Components of Expert System?

Answer 2

User Interface
Inference Engine
Knowledge Base

Question 3

Advantages of Expert System?

Answer 3

• Computer stores more info than GP - draw wider range of sources help diagnosis
• Will never retire - no loss of expertise
• Data kept up to date - upload of radiology reports and scans
• Gives doctors more time to spend with other serious patients/cases

Question 4

Disadvantages of Expert Systems?

Answer 4

• Over reliance on IT = loss of expertise
• Absurd errors, height&weight wrong way round, incorrect dosage of drug. Differentiation of GIGO
• No ‘common sense’ - Gun shot may try to find bacterial cause. No limits known
• Lack of human touch - personal contact

Question 5

Define MRI

Answer 5

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Provides tremendous level of detail on tissue info e.g. good for detecting brain tumours

Question 6

Define CAT

Answer 6

Computer Assisted Tomography

Produces complete 3D model of a patients bones & internal organs

Question 7

Define PET

Answer 7

Positron Emission Tomography

Produces 3 dimensional image of functional processes in the body

Question 8

Advantages of scanners

Answer 8

• Allows accurate diagnosis without need for surgery
• Leads to faster recovery
• Removes dangers of post op infections
• Surgeon knows what he is going to find and can plan key hole surgery route before the operation

Question 9

Disadvantages of Scanners

Answer 9

• Expensive to purchase, run and maintain
• Need to be have expert training
• Can be claustrophobic/ fat people don’t fit
• Loss traditional diagnostic methods
• Keep still for long periods in MRI
• Health risk, exposure to radiation, increase risk of cancer
• Postcode lottery, patients may have to travel

Question 10

Define Blood Barcoding

Answer 10

Bracelet worn by patient with a barcode on the patient and on the donors blood.

Enable blood to be tracked from donor to use

Question 11

Advantages of Blood Barcoding

Answer 11

• Can track bad blood, if there has been cross contamination then you can inform donor
• Better stock control
• Makes sure patient gets right blood type

Question 12

Disadvantages of Blood Barcoding

Answer 12

Damaged barcodes cause delays

Question 13

Define why we have sensors

Answer 13

monitor patients vital functions e.g. temp, bp, blood sugar, pulse

Question 14

2 uses of seniors

Answer 14

• Protection tags on babies so if they are stolen alarms on door will sound
• Elderly patients with dementia get tagged with security wrist band so if they wonder into different areas doors alarm so they kept in ward or correct areas

Question 15

Advantages of sensors

Answer 15

• Security and safety
• Measures vital functions automatically, same time at set intervals
• Not as much staff needed
• Set so always taken at right time
• Machines more accurate
• See patients long term trends = easily observed

Question 16

Disadvantages of sensors

Answer 16

• Have to calibrate to make sure they are accurate
• Beep, Loud, Uncomfortable for patient = can’t sleep
• Time consuming if you want to move with machine or get unhooked
• Fewer nurses needed = less human contact for care (dementia patients struggle/ feel uncomfortable)

Question 17

What does the Knowledge base do

Answer 17

A collection of rules or other information structures derived from the
human expert

Question 18

How does the user interface work

Answer 18

the main processing element of the expert system/applying rules to the system or situation.

Question 19

What is a inference engine used for

Answer 19

Is the method by which the expert system interacts with a user