Computer and Ayurvedic Medical Treatment

Here's explained, how artificial intelligence works for medical science

Our Kali-yuga is characterized by the accelerating rapidity of scientifically and medically based changes brought about by advances in scientific knowledge. Information is at the heart of society and its use profoundly affects this and future generations. Individuals and Institutions are making use of available ayurvedic information to the extent possible by conventional techniques. However, the information given in various available texts is enormous and therefore there is a need to develop information storing and retrieval systems.

Presently, the use of the computer in the medical world has become common in the western world Hospital records are now being maintained automatically and the same computers are used by physicians to help in diagnosis and to pick trend from thousands of medical records to assists in truly preventive medicine.

Computer-Assisted Instruction in Medicine :

The development of clinical judgment using the computer program is a dream of modern doctors. The use of computers in teaching medical students has become essential. A cornerstone of contemporary medical teaching practice is that moment in time when student and clinician cum teacher together confront a complex medical problem in the forms of a real patient in immediate need to diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.

This is the ultimate moment for logic synthesis and pragmatic assessment, and for demonstration of the qualities of human sensitivity and understanding, on the part of both student and instructor. The quality of the data which the student adduces and the validity of his clinical judgment are to be revealed, assessed, corrected where deficient and reinforced where appropriate.

For the instructor, the exercise challenges every element of his own knowledge experience, and pedagogical skill for he is simultaneously charged with responsibility for the student and the patient. At present time virtually all medical schools of western countries utilize this teaching model to the extent permitted by the number of students, qualified faculty and available patients Faculty and patients represent potential rate-limiting material and clinical experience into the curriculum and increased enrolment in the medical school.

This trend has already clearly indicated that new methods for optimizing the use of available clinical material and clinical faculties are urgently needed.

A solution to this challenge is the development of simulation methods for the clinical teaching experience, designed :

1. To provide students with familiarity with the bedside or O.P.D. exercise and an understanding of what is expected of them and what they can expect from teachers.
2. To accomplish this prior to dedicating precious O.P.D. /bedside house and teaching time.
3. To provide this critical assessment of the students' clinical judgment at any time the student feels in need;
4. To provide a wider base of clinical experience for the student who is otherwise limited, in part to the patient material which becomes available during a relatively limited period of time.

Towards this end, an experiment in the development of the computer-based simulation of the O.P.D. tutorial teaching system has been scheduled to be started at the vaidyaraj H. B. Paranjape research foundation, named after of Ayurved Shikshan Mandals and its Ashtang Ayurved Mahavidyalaya and Hospital.

The Problem:

The student is presented with a written case history and the results of physical examination. He then infers into a guided dialogue with the computer cum teacher/clinician modeled directly upon the clinician with strong Socratic tendencies, tirelessly available to help analyze a complex medical problem in conjunction with the student permitting the student to be both respondent and questioner in a partnership of inquiry and discovery.

Ayurvedic Parkruti and Vikruti examinations using available programs have to be developed on sound literature and clinical experience. The evaluation and treatment of patients should be inclusive of the prediction of the constitution and a program of health restoration according to variation of seasons and atmosphere changes, effects of place, selection of diet and medicine.

The Solution:

The solution of this challenging problem has been undertaken by employing programs and experimental dialog system incorporating a number of moving approaches, a language and system to be developed which is capable of implementing the pedagogical goals outlined above.

The system should permit scriptwriting by medical faculty unfamiliar with computer technology or programming. Indeed the scriptwriter is, simply use of the system, interacting with a special script which helps him generate instructional scripts.

By a unique set of scanning operations, the system accepts free language strings for interpretation, evaluation, and response and from student replay strings is capable of dynamically generating variables branching operations.

The system provides access to all instructional events for outside review and analysis. The system permits the implementation of complex and sophisticated operations with minimal writing and elements of general use may be used repetitively with flexibility which prevents or minimizes redundancy.
Instructional scriptwriting for this system is now in progress. It/is anticipated that the test script will be ready for testing the preliminary prakruti examination on 20th Nov 1990 and to determine the ayurvedic constitution of a person. The benefits to access from supplementing traditional teaching with this version.

I medical computer-assisted instruction has yet to be evaluated Nevertheless, it is anticipated that the present system has taken advantage of certain powerful potentialities inherent in computer technology which must in one way or another contribute positively to medical pedagogy.

The use of the computer to store information on various ayurvedic drugs related to their modern scientific discoveries and use in various diseases also constitutes a major program of data collection under the auspices of the World Research Foundation. It is produced to establish a center for Asian countries in traditional medicines at the Ayurved Shikshan Mandal, Pune.

The computer will not make/the doctor. It will stand between the patient and doctor in the same way as a stethoscope. The doctor has to examine his patient as before, perhaps even more thoroughly.
Each newly found symptom may provide further information and so a letter print out. We have only begun to explore the possibilities, the computer has given us. Teamwork is necessary and I would be pleased if such real teamwork would begin at Ayurved Shikshan Mandal, PUNE.

Dr. M. H. Paranjape

Computer and Ayurvedic Medical Treatment
Dr. M.H.Paranjape,
Ayurvedacharya, Ph.D.(Ayurved)
M.D., D.G.O., D.F.P.F.I.C.A. (U.S.A.)
Secretary, Ayurved Shikshan Mandal, Pune-411030.

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