and reports when DICOM standards are in place. This allows them to make a faster What is DICOM? diagnosis, potentially from anywhere in the world. DICOM is a global Information-Technol- ogy standard that is used in virtually all hospitals worldwide. Its current structure, which was developed in 1993, is designed to ensure the interoperability of systems Manufacturers of imaging equipment and used to: imaging information systems. DICOM Produce, Store, conformance ensures that every medical Display, Process, imaging facility is a potential customer, Send, Retrieve, because your equipment can work with any Query or Print workflow or electronic health record systems. medical images and derived structured documents as well as to manage related workflow. Patients can potentially obtain faster and more effective care when the DICOM Who needs DICOM? Standard is used to send their information Hospitals, clinics, imaging centers and through the healthcare enterprise. specialists. By purchasing only equip- ment and information systems that con- Payers benefit from this faster and more form to the DICOM Standard, you can effective process through potentially ensure that these tools will work together Manufacturers of peripheral equipment lowered cost of care. to produce, manage and distribute your (e.g., film scanners, printers, computer images regardless of your previous, monitors and workstations, image current or future vendors. archives). DICOM conformance ensures that your products can work with all cur- rent or future imaging modalities and re- lated peripheral equipment – regardless of vendor.
DICOM’s purpose is to meet each
of these diverse requirements. Is DICOM relevant to dated four to five times each year and re- MORE ABOUT DICOM published approximately once every year Electronic Health Record or two. The DICOM Standard is a product of the (EHR) Systems? DICOM Standards Committee and its many international working groups. Day- DICOM will be required by all EHR sys- Does DICOM work with other to-day operations are managed by the tems that include imaging information as standards-development National Electrical Manufacturers an integral part of the patient record. Association (NEMA), which holds the organizations? copyright to the Standard. Absolutely! A joint DICOM/HL7 working group has existed for many years to: The DICOM Standards Committee • Contribute to the development of the consists of: HL7 Reference Information Model, • More than 25 companies that • Propose extensions to the DICOM and produce medical imaging systems, HL7 standards where appropriate and • 18 organizations that represent • Develop information linkages between tens of thousands of medical the DICOM and HL7 standards. professionals, and • 14 government agencies and DICOM is also an integral part of Integrat- trade associations ing the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), which is an initiative to help both users Which medical specialties and vendors develop approaches for integrating various medical imaging and rely on DICOM? information systems. For more information, please DICOM is used in: visit: · radiology · breast imaging The DICOM Standards Committee has an · cardiology · radiotherapy active liaison to ISO’s TC 215. In fact, a http://DICOM.nema.org · oncology · ophthalmology joint DICOM/ISO working group produced The official Dicom website gives you: · dentistry · pathology a new standard enabling Web Access to • A free download of the DICOM · surgery · veterinary DICOM Objects. DICOM is an ISO Standard · neurology · pneumology Standard. It has been a European • Directions for ordering a paper Standard (EN) for years. copy of the Standard How does DICOM keep up with • A list of DICOM members Wherever possible, DICOM utilizes rele- advances in technology? • Details regarding DICOM’s vant parts of other mature standards such Over 750 technical and medical experts strategic plan as LOINC, SNOMED, JPEG, MPEG, BI- participate in more than 20 active DICOM • Just about anything you need to RADS, TCP/IP and other Internet working groups. As a consequence of know about DICOM. Standards. their efforts, the DICOM Standard is up-