The practice of medicine has become an information intensive profes sion. Pertinent and detailed information resources and references are proliferating rapidly, while the quantity of patient data gathered during an episode of care can be daunting. Identifying the best guideline and interventions which will lead to an optimal clinical outcome for an individual patient poses an increasingly difficult challenge. Matching the detailed information about a particular patient with the parameters of a guideline may be tedious. Attempting to identify or use a guideline with terms of definitions which...