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Biomedical subjects

B G Buchanan

Publications and source records attributed to B G Buchanan.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Antimicrobial selection by a computer. A blinded evaluation by infectious diseases experts.

An evaluation of a computer-based consultation system called MYCIN was made. Eight independent evaluators with special expertise in the management of meningitis compared MYCIN's choice of antimicrobials with the choices of nine human prescribers for ten test cases of meningitis. MYCIN received an acceptability rating of 65% by the evaluators; the corresponding ratings for acceptability of the regimen prescribed by the five faculty specialists ranged from 42.5% to 62.5%. The system never failed to cover a treatable pathogen while demonstrating efficiency in minimizing the number of antimicrobials prescribed. The study design may be useful in assessing the performance of other computer-based clinical decision-making systems.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Evaluating the performance of a computer-based consultant.

The performance of a computer-based clinical consultation system is evaluated. The program, called MYCIN, is designed to function as an aid for infectious disease diagnosis and therapy selection, with an initial emphasis on bacteremias. The evaluation methodology is discussed, as well as the difficulties encountered in attempting to evaluate clinical judgments. Specialists in infectious diseases judged MYCIN's final therapy recommedation, and intermediate conclusions about the significance of the infection and identity of infecting organisms. The evaluation techniques described may be useful in assessing the performance of other clinical decision aids. Results of the evaluation show that the program's therapy recommedations meet Stanford experts' standards of acceptable practice 90.9% of the time (table 2), with some variation noted both among individual experts and between Stanford experts and others (tables 1, 2).

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Computerized consultation system for selection of antimicrobial therapy.

Mycin, a computer-based consultation system which provides to physicians antimicrobial therapy recommendations for patients with bacterial infections, is described. The consultation program arrives at therapeutic decisions using a built-in knowledge base as well as patient data entered by the physician. The system is capable of explaining its recommendations and answering questions about its reasoning process. The system's knowledge can be updated and corrected easily by infectious disease experts. At present the system is operational within a research setting; its routine use in a clinical setting will require further evaluation of its reliability and effectiveness.

Anti-Infective Agents↗