A link corresponding range is identified in a string in a finding section of a medical report display screen. A content is specified and dragged and dropped onto the area in which link corresponding range is displayed. When the string is specified, address information on the content is attached to the string. At the same time, the string in the link corresponding range is identified and displayed. The present apparatus subsequently determines whether or not to display information related to the linked reference content. If a display instruction has been given, a protocol that allows the related information to be automatically acquired and displayed is embedded in the hyperlink. When report production is completed, a file is saved to finish the series of processing operations. The file is then transferred to, for example, a trace reading report production requester.