Appendicitis. The computer as a diagnostic tool.

At present there is no definitive test for appendicitis and no clear set of signs and symptoms, so that diagnosis is uncertain and probabilistic. A computer model for analyzing clinical data can improve physician accuracy in diagnosing appendicitis by assessing the outcome probabilities associated with the treatment options. Should a definitive test become available, the computer model will aid clinicians in determining when to test. Once our proposed model has been validated, it will not only improve physician decision-making, but also provide quality assurance feedback, generate reports for documentation, and compile a data base of many cases for study and reference.