The rise and 'fall' of expert systems in medicine

This paper represents a personal perspective on the last 13 years of research in medical artificial intelligence and expert systems, and describes the progress of the discipline from its inception to its current status. The challenges faced by researchers are examined, and it is argued that (despite the claims) theoretical and technical limitations are not the major barriers to the successful implementation of medical artificial intelligence and expert systems, but rather more complex professional and organizational issues are at stake.