Medical cognitive graphics

Abstract

Medical inference problems that seem too complex for intuitive solution can be made tractable if the problem information is presented in the form of a graphic display. The medical cognitive graphics approach to aiding complex problem solving conceives of a medical professional as a person trying to form a mental model of the patient's situation. Appropriate computer graphics make mental models easier to form and easier to explore. This paper develops the notion of medical cognitive graphics via two examples drawn from medical diagnosis and monitoring.