Information filtering and retrieval: overview, issues and directions

This paper is intended to serve as a springboard for a panel discussion with audience participation on information filtering and retrieval. Medical informatics is an emerging specialty which links medicine and technology. With the unprecedented availability of digital information, retrieval and filtering are becoming important aspects of medical informatics. The authors offer an overview of medical applications for filtering and retrieval, and introduce important state-of-the-art techniques in a way that does not presuppose prior knowledge in this field. This provides a basis for understanding issues and research developments in this field. The ensuing discussion examines challenges and opportunities for workers in this field