A Comparative Study of the Arden Syntax and GDL Clinical Knowledge Representation Languages

The expressiveness of a medical knowledge representation language has significant impact on the effectiveness of a knowledge-based clinical decision support system. We assess the expressiveness of two such languages, Arden Syntax and the Guideline Definition Language. Using data extracted from both languages' specifications, we quantify expressiveness by means of language syntax and the number of supported operators. Preliminary results show that Arden Syntax is a more dynamic standard, having better readability and a higher number and more diverse operators than GDL. In contrast, GDL is a more rigid language that utilizes an underlying data model specification in the openEHR framework.