Matching knowledge and evidence in a model of medical diagnosis

Abstract

The Dempster-Shafer theory extended for fuzzy focal elements can be used to build a flexible model of medical diagnosis. Yet, quality of an inferred diagnosis depends on precision of matching knowledge with evidence (patient's findings). The paper provides definitions of matching precision and suggests methods of the most adequate use of available information about symptoms. The methods are illustrated by an example and tests of an Internet database. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.