A rule-based computer program for advising physicians regarding antimicrobial therapy selection

Abstract

MYCIN is an interactive computer program, relying to a large extent upon artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, which uses decision rules acquired from experts to advise physicians who request advice regarding infectious disease therapy selection. MYCIN provides consultatations in this problem area by means of three interrelated subprograms: (1) - A Consultation System, which uses information provided by the physician, together with its own rule-based knowledge, to choose an appropriate therapeutic regimen for a patient with a bacterial infection; (2) - An Explanation System, which understands simple English questions and answers them in order to justify its decisions or instruct the user; (3) - A Rule-Acquisition System, which accepts new rules from experts and codes them for use during future consultation sessions. A variety of human engineering capabilities have also been developed to heighten the program's acceptability to the physicians who will use it.