The PACE System: An Expert Consulting System for Nursing provides a case study of the research, design, implementation, and commercial distribution of this decision support system. Beginning with a summary of PACE's twenty year development and its start as a university-based system, the author contrasts the original system with its current version to give a concrete understanding of its evolution. Further chapters discuss issues in the initial development of the knowledge base; the specific activities and efforts needed to acquire, maintain, and manage the knowledge base; how the network is maintained. The implementation, distribution, and subsequent validation of the entire clinical system is reviewed. Principles and lessons from the development of PACE are analyzed with the hope that today's researchers and developers will glean useful information from these earlier efforts.