A Decision-Theoretic Approach to Medical Diagnosis and Treatment,
Abstract
The paper sets out to replace good medical practice with something better by proposing a structure to the clincial decision problem which is, in a particular sense, optimal. The structure is of the general form found in the literature under names such as statistical decision theory, decision making under uncertainty, Bayesian decision analysis, the theory of choice under uncertainty, and so forth. The theory has recently been applied to acute renal failure, the pleural effusion problem, the sore throat problem, and renal hypertension. The intended contribution of this paper to the body of knowledge is the proposal to estimate multidimensional utility functions primarily on the basis of observed behavior rather than on the sole basis of response to hypothetical lotteries, as is usually done. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0714651
Entities
People
- Brian E. Forst
Organizations
- Center for Naval Analyses