Raymond Frost

An expert database technique applied to an aphasia classification system

Abstract Medical expert systems or clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are computer applications that emulate the diagnostic techniques of medical experts. An advanced concept in CDSS is the integrated CDSS, which begins with the diagnostic capability of the CDSS and adds the abilities to generate signals or warnings about patient conditions and to store patient data in such a way that it can be retrieved and used efficiently. A new technique in the computer subfield known as database management systems (DBMS), is the object-oriented DBMS (OODBMS). This paper will discuss an innovative technique that uses an OODBMS to develop an integrated CDSS for individuals with aphasia. The diagnostic basis for the integrated CDSS is the Aphasia Diagnostic Profile (ADP). The paper will briefly describe the ADP classification scheme, the OODBMS concept, and the technique developed to create the aphasia integrated CDSS.