An examination item management unit 14 manages an examination item and the maximum number of modalities that can acquire an examination order including the examination item in association with each other. An order retrieval unit 18 extracts an examination order to be transmitted from a plurality of examination orders. When the number of the modalities that have acquired an examination order reaches the maximum number that can acquire the examination order, the order retrieval unit 18 does not extract the examination order as an examination order to be transmitted to the modality； on the other hand, when the number of the modalities that have acquired an examination order is less than the maximum number, the order retrieval unit 18 extracts the examination order as an examination order to be transmitted to the modality.
