Remote access to an expert system for infectious diseases

An expert-system antibiotic information database was developed in order to help non-specialist doctors to choose the appropriate treatment for patient s with infectious diseases. Fifty doctors conducted a pilot trial of the da tabase, using modem access and the telephone network. During an eight-month study period, 1053 queries were received. The range of duration of the que ries was 130-350 s. Of the queries, 473 (45%) were for particular patients with an infectious disease. The response rate to a questionnaire mailed out to the users at the end of the project was 100%. All doctors, even those w ho had limited experience with computers, found it easy to understand and t o use the database.