Abstract
A tool is introduced for the acquisition of pathology knowledge in a formalized form,
directly by the expert. Formalization of the knowledge is intended to make descriptive
pathology knowledge more suitable for computerized diagnostic support since a formal
representation of knowledge allows more extensive indexing, hence more flexible access.
The knowledge acquisition (KA) tool also provides a useful research instrument to
investigate to what extent pathology knowledge can be made explicit, to what degree
ambiguity is present, in what way experts differ when formalizing knowledge, and whether
it is feasible to incrementally acquire decision criteria on the basis of the formalized
descriptive knowledge.
Crucial in the design of the KA tool is the incorporated meta-knowledge, which is
reflected by the knowledge-base structure and is used to elicit knowledge from the
expert. Knowledge is acquired from the expert via a menu-driven user interface, which
follows the general steps of the pathologist when describing a case. The paper discusses
the considerations underlying the design, the implementation of the KA tool, and the
research goals.
Key-Words
Knowledge Acquisition - Knowledge Formalization - Computer-Assisted Diagnosis - Pathology
