Knowledge acquisition for multiple site, related domain expert systems: Delphi process and application

摘要

Prerequisite to the development of an expert system is the identification of relevant knowledge and expertise. This research explores a Delphi-based approach for managing a portion of the knowledge acquisition process with multiple, geographically dispersed experts. The general context in which the methodology is useful and beneficial, the multiple site, related domain problem, is defined and discussed.An instance of a multiple site, related domain application, hospital operating room scheduling, is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. Thirty five domain experts were engaged in a Delphi process that enabled the creation of a global model of knowledge for operating room scheduling. The resulting model is asserted to be applicable at virtually any hospital site by nature of the way the knowledge is identified and structured. The generality of the knowledge base is novel vis-à-vis the traditional paradigm of custom development typically associated with knowledge acquisition and knowledge bases. The model was successfully validated using two hospitals, one whose operating room Director participated in the Delphi study and one whose Director did not.