Rule based artificial intelligence expert system for determination of upper extremity impairment rating

Abstract Quantitative evaluation of upper extremity impairment, a percentage rating most often determined using a rule based procedure, has been implemented on a personal computer using an artificial intelligence, rule-based expert system (AI sytem). In this study, the rules given in Chapter 3 of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (Third Edition) were used to developed such an AI system for the Apple Macintosh. The program applies the rules from the Guides in a consistent and systematic fashion. It is faster and less error-prone than the manual method, and the results have a higher degree of precission, since intermediate values are not truncated.