title: Combining clinical judgement and statistical data in expert systems: over-the-telephone management decisions for critical congenital heart disease in the first month of life.
abstract: When a new-born baby with congenital heart disease is referred to a regional specialist centre, the transportation management is crucial but must be decided on the basis of clinical information obtained over the telephone. We consider algorithmic and naive statistical approaches to helping in this decision, and on the basis of preliminary results the relative strengths and weaknesses are discussed. A synthesised logical and probabilistic approach appears to have the best potential and could be implemented on hand-held computers.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children, London, UK.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Spiegelhalter
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Macartney
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bull
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005103:Expert Systems; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011336:Probability; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013689:Telephone; D014187:Transportation of Patients