Impact of ICT on Society – Part the first ICT 1_6

Health Medical records stored on databases Donor databases Computer controlled devices (pacemakers, organs) Monitoring devices Expert systems Remote operations Key hole surgery Computer modelling for drugs Booking online

Health – record keeping Access available to lots of people simultaneously Saves paper Handwritten can be unclear Records went missing Notes and appointments may not arrive the same times.

Health – AI Enables Computers to draw deductions, produce new information and modify rules. Neural Networks Biological systems that allow the brain to store and utilise data. Scientists are now modelling computer systems on Neural Networks.

Neural Networks Good at Very fast processing Obeying simple instructions When given lots of examples to learn from When a structure can be developed from existing data Not good at Adaptation (new circumstance, same rules) Parallel processing Adapting to errors or imprecise data Only suited to certain tasks Learning examples have to be carefully chosen Can be unpredictable

Health – Expert Systems An ICT system that uses AI in order to make decisions based upon data supplied in the form of answers to questions. Components Knowledge base, vast storage about a particular subject (facts and judgements) Inference Engine, a set of rules upon which decisions are made (usually a IF –THEN structure) A User Interface

Health – Expert Systems

MYCIN This is an example of an existing medical expert system. It can be used instead of taking blood cultures and then growing them to identify particular infections – taking time. MYCIN dramatically reduces the time taken to diagnose infections using the patients symptoms

Health – Expert Systems MYCIN – Features Uses around 500 rules Asks for further information The system recommends lab tests Suggests the best treatment Lists the drugs that can be used to treat the patient – with probabilities Makes a recommendation for a particular drug based after asking about patient allergies

Health – Expert Systems Advantages Consistency Cheaper than an expert Huge pool of knowledge Available 24/7 Uses all of the information provided

Health – Expert Systems Disadvantages No common sense Can make absurd errors Not able to be creative Doesn’t know when it doesn’t know GIGO!