ABSTRACT
One of the hottest areas of computer science is expert systems. An expert system is a computer system that can substitute in performance for a human expert. Many researchers have been trying, for example, to develop computers that can simulate the accuracy of physicians in aspects of medical diagnosis and prescription. In the context of population programs, this technology could be very useful in Latin America in the future. The Office of the Science Advisor of the United States Agency for International Development has funded Dr. Chandler Dawson of the University of California and his colleagues at IBM and Rutgers University to develop an expert system for ophthalmological diagnosis. The idea is to develop a system that can be implemented on a hand-held computer. It appears likely that if Dr. Dawson is able to develop a clinical algorithm for primary ophthalmological care, one could also develop a hand-held expert system for primary family planning services.
