Integrating decision support, based on the Arden Syntax, in a clinical laboratory environment.

A clinical decision support system prototype have been developed in the clinical laboratory environment. The knowledge base consists of Medical Logic Modules, written in the Arden Syntax, and the work describes how these modules can be written, evoked and executed in a system, that is integrated with a laboratory information system, and facilitate real time validation of laboratory data. Tools and methods for building a decision support system are described and design aspects, such as database access, system validation and platform independence, are discussed.