title: Assessment of a computerized system for the diagnosis of iron deficiency.
abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a computer expert system that could reproduce a pathologist's diagnosis of iron deficiency from the data obtained from blood tests. 275 cases were collected for construction and testing of the expert system. The expert system used a combination of fuzzy set logic and cut-off points from 14 parameters to arrive at one of 5 diagnostic categories graded from "iron deficient" to "no evidence of iron deficiency". The agreement between pathologist and expert system was 0.91 (Spearman rank correlation coefficient) in the learning population; this dropped to 0.79 in the test population. Absolute agreement on diagnostic category was reached in 71% of cases. In no case was there disagreement by more than 3 grades.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Christchurch School of Medicine.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Causer
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Findlay
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hawes
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Boswell
mesh_terms: D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005103:Expert Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged