The Oxford System of Medicine: A prototype information system for primary care

The Oxford System of Medicine (OSM) is an experimental knowledge based system designed to satisfy requirements of information provision and decision support in general practice. A system of this type must address special problems caused by the wide medical scope of general practice; the variety of decisions taken by general practitioners, and the acute user-interface demands in this clinical setting. The aims of the OSM project, and the design and operation of the prototype are outlined. Three central aspects of the system are discussed: the user interface, organisation of the knowledge base, and the generalised approach to decision making developed during the project.