This article describes an adaptive interface implemented in a knowledge-based medical expert system. The InSPECTA expert system assists nuclear physicians in the interpretation of SPECT-generated perfusion images of the heart. The presentation order of questions to the physician/user is determined by the interaction between the system's expert knowledge of the domain, the inferencing system's requirements for a confident diagnosis, the level of question specificity, and user preferences for data input. We describe a user-centered approach to the design of the system and discuss its value as a diagnostic aid and a training device for novice clinicians.
adaptive interface, nuclear medicine, user centered design, diagnosis, knowledge-based system