Medical plan-analysis by computer: critiquing the pharmacologic management of essential hypertension.

A computer system, HT-ATTENDING, has been developed using Artificial Intelligence techniques to critique a physician's approach to the pharmacologic management of essential hypertension. HT-ATTENDING (1) assists the physician in the management of a hypertensive patient, (2) helps avoid inadvertent management errors, (3) provides information about new drugs and new treatment modalities, and (4) mentions relevant topical issues, all in the context of discussing an approach to a particular patient's care. To critique a physician's management plan effectively, HT-ATTENDING must accommodate the inherent variation of medical practice as a central part of its design. HT-ATTENDING can be thought of as an "interactive paper" which tailors its content around a proposed approach to a patient's care.