Expert systems in laboratory medicine: a practical consultative application.

Today, more than ever, clinical pathologists will be required to act as consultants, while at the same time coping with ever-increasing workloads. We present a knowledge-based expert system for providing interpretive reports on over 100 specimens per day in a large commercial laboratory. The program's developmental history is reviewed, followed by a description of the program's structure and operation and how it is used and edited.