Graphical knowledge presentation in a MUMPS-based decision-support system.

Conventional knowledge-based medical expert systems present information and elicit responses in the form of text. PHOENIX, a decision-support system designed to help non-radiologist physicians select diagnostic imaging procedures, offers a graphical user interface. The system constructs and displays algorithms, or flowcharts, from the rules in its knowledge base. Users can view the flowcharts and move through them by answering questions at branch points. The system provides detailed textual explanations of the rules and descriptions of the imaging procedures. The system is written in MUMPS, a common programming language for biomedical information systems, and is easily incorporated into clinical computer systems.