[Clinical judgment and decision, pedagogy and practice].

The interactive systems of logical interference represent but one of the computer applications to medicine. While the potential of computers in medical practice is beyond question, their actual use is not widespread. After the stage of practical demonstration of the working features of the hardware, one needs to define accurately the purpose to which the computer is intended in order to perform efficiently in its everyday use. To a certain extent, this unavoidable specialisation contrasts with the ubiquitous presence of computers and the availability of software the use of which does not, in principle, require particular training. A teaching experience directed to a number of different user groups in various fields has prompted us to examine the bases of the difficulties we met with. While some of them are related to cultural (or even religious) grounds, other, being of more technical nature, are more readily amendable to a methodological inquiry. Briefly, this analysis has led us to suggest a revision of various computer applications, including the interactive systems of logical interference, in the field of clinical research. A minimal theoretical training is essential in order to prevent delusions caused by an improvident autodidactic approach. The formal analysis of decision making appears as an excellent teaching guideline since it allows to refresh the elementary statistical concepts and then to approach economical aspects of health management (especially the cost/benefit and cost/effectiveness studies), as well as the sciences of administration as applied to health problems. Oncology represents a particularly suitable field of application on several accounts. It covers various and complex clinical domains, constant conceptual developments and finally, owing to the need for a systematic organisation of the data collection, it offers persuasive applications whose lasting features should warrant the necessary initial effort of investment.