A comparative study of nursing diagnosis systems using neural networks and expert systems

With the growing need in the field, the application of computers in nursing has been frequently studied with the aim of improving the quality of nursing care in Korea. However, the development of useful clinical programs has not received adequate attention. The aim of this study is to compare two Nursing Diagnosis Systems-one involving a Neural Network and one involving an Expert System. The simulated output of each Nursing Diagnosis System was compared with the judgement of the researcher and of two professors of nursing. The misdiagnosis rate of the Nursing Diagnosis System using the Neural Network was nine percent, while the Nursing Diagnosis System using Expert System showed consistency with the three experts in every aspect. The result of this study demonstrated the feasibility of the use of an expert system based Nursing Diagnosis System as another nursing tool.