The WIC Advisor: a case study in medical expert system development

A case study of expert system development with untrained experts over a short period of time is discussed. The development of a working medical screening and diagnosis expert system for use at the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in Madison County, IL is described. The system was designed and implemented over a period of four months. A large number of knowledge acquisition techniques were used, some of them customized in ways that greatly increased their effectiveness. This work explores the development of the WIC Advisor, from problem definition through expert system delivery. Important factors in the success of this expert system were the selection of a limited diagnostic domain, and the choice of multiple experts. The major benefits of the system include assisting clients between clinic visits, cataloging basic medical data, and providing consistent and verifiable information