Clinical decision support systems and computer-aided diagnosis in otology.

Abstract

We reviewed the progress of the implementation of expert diagnostic systems in the field of otology. We conducted a review of the literature at a research institute. The utilization of expert diagnostic systems in otology is very limited. Previous applications focused primarily upon the diagnosis of vertiginous disorders with the use of deterministic algorithms and, more recently, with adaptive algorithms such as neural networks. Expert systems provide greater diagnostic accuracy to physicians across a wide range of medical specialties. The success of such a system depends upon the strength of its reasoning algorithm, the validity of its knowledge base, and its ease of use. There have been no attempts to develop an adaptive expert system for the full range of otological conditions. Such a tool may be of great use to physicians as a diagnostic aid and educational resource, particularly for those located in isolated sites.