Manual of the CACDDST (Computer-Aided Clinical Diagnostic Decision-Support Tool)

This site has been designed to be used as a tool for computer-aided clinical diagnostic decision-support. We state that we do not take any responsibility for the results found on using this programme. Without our permission you can not copy and transfer the CACDDST database and software.

CONTENTS

  1. Input of the clinical manifestations by selecting from the lists prepared in this database
  2. Preliminary output of the possible diseases
  3. Reviewing the selected clinical manifestations to narrow the search for possible diseases
  4. Narrowing the search for possible diseases
  5. Process flow
  6. Going back to the initial process

1. Input of the clinical manifestations by selecting from the lists prepared in this database

figure 1

figure 2

1) The clinical manifestations on the patient are selected, as input data, from the list of "Common clinical manifestations" prepared in this database. This list consists of about 150 items of clinical manifestations and all those items are displayed category by category in the right side of the initial screen as shown in Figure 1.

2) By clicking on any of the titles of categories(underlined link) you want to refer to, you can view the those items picked up just below as shown in Figure 2.

figure 3

To select the items of clinical manifestations to be input, check the items corresponding to the patient. After you have checked through each category concerned, be sure to click on either of the two "Selection and/or addition of the clinical manifestations" buttons located just above and below in order to make selected item(s) effect and display them in next screen.

figure 4

In the selected clinical manifestations displayed in left side of the screen, you may delete incorrect or unnecessary item(s) here by clicking "delete" button, if any.

figure 5

1) If you have any other clinical manifestation(s) that you intend to input but do not find in the list of "Common clinical manifestations", you may try to search for those with the "Entry box" at the upper right of the screen in order to add to the selected clinical manifestations.

2) Enter a few consecutive letters included in the keyword (e.g. 'blo' for blood, 'phil' for eosinophilia etc.) into the "Entry box" and click on the "Search" button so that the items of clinical manifestations including such consecutive letters will be brought up and displayed as a search result.

3) If you find any corresponding item(s) among them, check it and also be sure to click on one of the "Selection and/or addition of the clinical manifestations" buttons in the same manner as shown in Figure 3.

4) When the requested item of clinical manifestation does not appear in the search result, you may re-try with alternative keywords. This database covers about 700 items of clinical manifestations in all.

2. Preliminary output of the possible diseases

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1) Click on the "Recall diseases" button so that the names of possible diseases in connection with the selected clinical manifestations will be displayed in the right side of the same screen as shown in Figure 7. To know what sort of clinical manifestations are linked to the respective diseases, click on the each name of disease for detailed information (see Figure 11).

2) Maximum 50 diseases can be displayed within a screen. When more than 50 diseases come up, click on the ordered numbers link just above by turns to display following screens.

3) In most cases, a large number of diseases may appear. Then, in order to narrow your search, you may proceed to the further steps shown in Figure 8 onwards.

3. Reviewing the selected clinical manifestations to narrow the search for possible diseases

figure 8

Narrowing the search allows for more matches. Click on the "To narrow the search" link.

figure 9-1

The selected clinical manifestations are displayed with a "Yes/No" button in the left side of the screen. Choose either "Yes" to confirm the clinical manifestation or "No" to deny it. If reluctant to choose "Yes" or "No", you may leave it as blank. In this screen, if necessary, additional clinical manifestations can be entered in the same manner as Figure 2, 3 and 5.

4. Narrowing the search for possible diseases

figure 9-2

Click on the "Narrow the search" button.

figure 10

As a result of reviewing the selected clinical manifestations, you can view the revised list of possible diseases where a number of diseases regarded as hardly possible have been excluded.

figure 11

All manifestations which are linked to the disease are listed here by clicking on the each disease link in Figure 10.

5. Process flow

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Gray bar just below the main title "CACDDST" indicates a flow of the process. Highlighted indication shows current process and you can be back to the any previous process by clicking on its link.

6. Going back to the initial process

figure 13

To start again from the beginning, click on the "START" link located at the top right hand side of the screen.