CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION:
This chapter gives an overview about the aim, objectives,
background and operation environment of the system.
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Health care facility should be
accessible by all at all times. But some of the people that should access
these facilities are far removed from these facilities. More so, in the
few available facilities, qualified medical personnel are always key issues
that need urgent redress.
In view of the foregoing, it would
be of great necessity to provide a computerized system that will provide a
complementary medical service, such as medical disease diagnosis in places
where accessibility is a problem as well as health care facilities where
qualified experts are lacking, hence this topic, Expert System or electronic
diagnosis system on some medical illness and disease.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
Disease diagnosis and treatment constitute
the major work of physicians. Some of the time, diagnosis is wrongly done
leading to error in drug prescription and further complications in the
patient’s health. It has also been noticed that much time is spent in physical
examination and interview of patients before treatment commences. The clinical
decision support system (CDSS) shall address these problems by effectively
providing quality diagnosis in real-time
1.3
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The major objective of this work is
to develop an expert system on diagnosis of non-communicable diseases.
It also targets towards contributing
to academic research work.
• To develop modern interactive
diagnostic software that will aid clinicians in diagnostic procedures.
• To offer prescription of
medication.
• To enable flexibility in access to
information through the World Wide Web or comprehensive knowledge bases.
• It is also to ascertain whether
the diseases could be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms.
• It will also examine a patient
based on simple clinical signs, and to improve family and community health
1.6
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
If this prototype is fully developed
will be very useful in many areas such as:
a.
It will help to retain the skill of an expert medical doctor in case of any
eventuality;
b.
It can support academic development;
c.
It can be useful in many hospitals, both private and government, cases where
the expert is not on seat;
d.
It can also be used in the laboratory for quick research work.
1.7
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1.
Unavailability
of academic materials.
2.
Transport
problem
3.
Lack
of financial support
4.
Lack
of Time
5.
Unavailability
of programming software such as Visual Basic.Net.
1.9
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this work will include
the following
1.
A dynamic database system that can act as knowledge based system
2.
A complete model of an expert system to portray sample troubleshooter
3.
Explore the power of visual basic in data handling
4.
To implement a dynamic search system
1.8 ASSUMPTION
OF THE STUDY
During the process of data
collection, information relating to Electronic diagnosis System was obtained
from the internet and the
library. Hence, it is assumed that all
the data collected are correct and contains no false information.
1.9
DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.
Management: It is the co-ordination of all the resources of an Organization through
the process of planning, Organization, directing and controlling
2.
System: Physical component of a computer that is used to perform certain task.
3.
Data: Numbers, Text or image which is in the form suitable for Storage in or
processing by a computer, or incomplete information.
4.
Information: A meaning full material derived from computer data by organizing it and interpreting
it in a specified way.
5.
Input:
Data entered into a computer for storage or
processing.
6.
Output:
Information produced from a computer after
processing.
7.
Information
System: A set of interrelated components that collect (or
retrieve), process, store and distribute information to support decision making
and control in an organization.
8.
COMPUTER:-Computer is an electronic device that
accepts data as Input, processes data and gives out information as output to
the user.
9.
SOFWARE:-Software is set of related programs that
are designed by the manufacturer to control the hardware and to enable the
computer perform a given task.
10.
HARDWARE: - Hardware is a physical part of a
computer that can be touched, seen, feel which are been control by the software
to perform a given task.
11.
DATABASE: - Database is the collection of related
data in an organized form.
12.
PROGRAMMING: - programming is a
set of coded instruction which the computers understands and obey.
13.
TECHNOLOGY: -Technology is the branch of knowledge
that deals with the creation and use technical and their interrelation with
life, society and the environment, drawing upon such as industrial art,
engineering, applied science and pure science.
14.
Algorithm : A set of
logic rules determined during the design phase of a data matching application.
The ‘blueprint’ used to turn logic rules into computer instructions that detail
what step to perform in what order.
15.
Application: The final combination of software and
hardware which performs the data matching.
16. Diagnose: The identifying of an illness or
disorder in a patient through physical examination, medical tests, or other
procedures
17. Medical: Relating to medicine,
physical examination to determine health: a physical examination by a doctor to
check
18. Communicable: A communicable disease that
can be passed from one person
19. Expert: somebody with a great deal of
knowledge, skill, training, or experience in a particular field or activity - a
medical expert
20. Knowledge-based: Information system that store
wealth of ones knowledge
21. Symptoms: Signs of an ill health