CADIAG-II (Computer-Assisted DIAGnosis) is a computer-assisted consultation system to support the differential diagnostic process in internal medicine.

The system is able to propose diagnoses based on patient's given symptoms, signs, and test results and—if possible—to prove or exclude them. If necessary, suggestions for subsequent medical investigations are offered. Every step of this consultation system is explained in a detailed manner. CADIAG has been integrated into the medical information system WAMIS of the Vienna General Hospital. Through the integration, CADIAG-II is able to access patient data and laboratory test results already collected in the central patient database of WAMIS. CADIAG-II operates in two subsequent phases: (1) as an automatic screening procedure for detecting pathological states in the patient, for generating diagnostic hypotheses, and for proposing further useful examinations; and (2) as an on-line consultation system for the clinician to assist him in clarifying patients’ disorders completely and in great detail.

There are four application areas: colon diseases, rheumatic diseases, pancreatic diseases, gall bladder and bile duct diseases.

CADIAG-II/COLON deals with the sub area of colon diseases; it contains 37 diseases considering 43 signs of illness. 2,200 relationships between these signs and diseases were incorporated into the knowledge base, from that 1,152 for the characterization of the frequency of occurrence of a symptom with a disease and 1,048 as value for the strength of confirmation of a disease.

CADIAG-2/RHEUMA acts as a consultation system for the differential diagnosis of rheumatological diseases. CADIAG-2/RHEUMA consultation is a valuable support in clinical diagnosis by pointing to rare rheumatological conditions and to diagnoses which are most closely related to the patient's condition and thus require primary attention, both from a practical and from a financial point of view.

CADIAG-II is a hospital based system.

CADIAG-II has been developed by the Department of Medical Computer Sciences, the Department of Internal Medicine III, Section of Rheumatology and the Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Oncology, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria.

Core Unit for Medical Statistics and Informatics (MSI), Medical University of Vienna, Spitalg. 23, A-1090 Vienna, Phone: +431 40400 6668, Internet: http://www.meduniwien.ac.at/msi/mes