title: The performance of the knowledge-based system VALAB revisited: an evaluation after five years.
abstract: In 1988, inundated by the tedious work of validation of laboratory reports in a large hospital biochemistry laboratory, we designed VALAB, a knowledge-based system specially dedicated to this iterative function. Coping at first with a few biochemical tests, the program has been progressively expanded to forty-five common chemical tests. Simultaneously some new rules have been introduced to "weight" the conclusion in different circumstances and rules taking into consideration some clinical data have also been written. Moreover the program moved to other disciplines, pH and blood gases, haematology and coagulation. Accordingly the evaluation protocol has been modified, incorporating a new step, the consensus decision of the pathologists, operating within the initial protocol and based upon the various criteria of epidemiology. These major changes and improvements have led us to check and describe again the performance of this updated VALAB knowledge-based system.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical Pathology, Rangueil University Hospital Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Valdiguié
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rogari
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Corberand
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boneu
mesh_terms: D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D002984:Clinical Laboratory Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D012986:Software Validation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis