Effects of a medical expert system on differential diagnosis of renal masses: a prospective study

A medical expert system, RMDS, was used to prospectively evaluate patients undergoing nephrectomy for suspected renal masses. The effects of a medical expert system on differential diagnosis of renal masses were investigated. After RMDS consultation, three chief residents and one junior attending physician changed their preoperative diagnosis and significantly increased their diagnostic accuracy. The results indicate that the medical expert system may have an useful role in preoperative diagnosis of renal masses.