AI in medicine on its way from knowledge-intensive to data-intensive systems

The last 20 years of research and development in the field of artificial in telligence in medicine (AIM) show a path from knowledge-intensive systems, which try to capture the essential knowledge of experts in a knowledge-base d system, to data-intensive systems available today. Nowadays enormous amou nts of information is accessible electronically. Large datasets are collect ed continuously monitoring physiological parameters of patients. Knowledge- based systems are needed to make use of all these data available and to hel p us to cope with the information explosion. In addition, temporal data ana lysis and intelligent information visualization can help us to get a summar ized view of the change over time of clinical parameters. Integrating AIM m odules into the daily-routine software environment of our care providers gi ves us a great chance for maintaining and improving quality of care. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.