Computer-aided assessment of transient ischemic attacks. A clinical evaluation
J. A. Reggia, D. R. Tabb, T. R. Price, M. Banko and R. Hebel
We developed and evaluated a computer-based system to assist with the
difficult problem of assessing the conditions of patients with transient
ischemic attacks (TIAs). The program used criteria to classify a patient's
illness localize the neurologic deficit, screen for 46 causative or
mimicking disorders, recommend additional tests, and suggest management
steps. We evaluated this program in 103 patients with TIAs. The TIA
program's localization and classification of patients generally agreed with
those made by stroke specialists at our institution, demonstrating that
computer programs can reproduce the decision criteria of stroke
specialists. With revisions, the TIA program or similar systems could be
useful for objective disease classification in clinical trials or
epidemiologic studies. In contrast, the TIA program's treatment
recommendations were often found to differ significantly from the actual
treatments administered by non-stroke specialists.
