Lack of standard methods for evaluation of askMedline Julio Bonis, Research Group on Biomedical Informatics IMIM (www.imim.es/grib/) 16 March 2005 In the paper of Fontelo et als, a information retrieval system is described.The objective that the authors aim to reach is clever and important forallowing the practice of Evidence Based Medicine. However, the criteria for evaluation and validation of the tool is in someway esoteric, and does not fit with the standar criteria for informationretrieval systems evaluation.Specifically, the authors do not refer to the precision of the system as isdescribed eslewhere[1]. It could be desiderable to know, at least the meanof the precision of the system for the testing set (POEMs and CAT), in orderto be able to compare with other information retrieval systems.In conclusion, I miss some of the standard methods for information retrievalevaluation in the, in the other hand very well oriented, work of Fontelo Pet als.Conflicts of interest: None.Julio Bonis MDResearch Group on Biomedical Informatics (www.imim.es/grib)Biomedical Research Park of Barcelona (www.prbb.org)Barcelona - Spain1 - Kagolovsky Y, Moehr JR. Current status of the evaluation of informationretrieval. J Med Syst. 2003 Oct;27(5):409-24. Competing interests None
Lack of standard methods for evaluation of askMedline
16 March 2005
In the paper of Fontelo et als, a information retrieval system is described.
The objective that the authors aim to reach is clever and important for
allowing the practice of Evidence Based Medicine.
However, the criteria for evaluation and validation of the tool is in some
way esoteric, and does not fit with the standar criteria for information
retrieval systems evaluation.
Specifically, the authors do not refer to the precision of the system as is
described eslewhere[1]. It could be desiderable to know, at least the mean
of the precision of the system for the testing set (POEMs and CAT), in order
to be able to compare with other information retrieval systems.
In conclusion, I miss some of the standard methods for information retrieval
evaluation in the, in the other hand very well oriented, work of Fontelo P
et als.
Conflicts of interest: None.
Julio Bonis MD
Research Group on Biomedical Informatics (www.imim.es/grib)
Biomedical Research Park of Barcelona (www.prbb.org)
Barcelona - Spain
1 - Kagolovsky Y, Moehr JR. Current status of the evaluation of information
retrieval. J Med Syst. 2003 Oct;27(5):409-24.
Competing interests
None