DICOM Storage and its Vast Improvements
It’s no secret to those among us with a background in radiology – we understand how important
DICOM messages with image metadata is in today’s healthcare environment. We need that metadata to include information that identifies the patient, laterality, body parts, specific information pertinent to the case/exam, and much more. Thanks to new technology, including cloud computer and DICOM storage processes, we’re getting that important metadata as needed.
Unfortunately, many enterprise imagers on the market today only acquire the images in an informal context, which are then managed locally. However, when equipped with more comprehensive solutions that work to support electronic medical records, medical professionals and patients are gaining better access to their medical images and the metadata that goes with it.
There are a number of technical challenges in acquiring and managing enterprise images, especially those that come via visible light applications. However, there are solutions to these challenges. Whether it’s dermatology, anatomic pathology, endoscopy, cardiology, oncology, etc., DICOM storage standards are assisting healthcare providers in gaining access to and control of medical images.
Today patients are taking a proactive role, finding ways to stay up to date on every exam, reviewing doctors’ notes, and managing their care. They have more expectations, and DICOM storage standards are a way to ensure they are coming out on top.
Part of the expectations are actually coming through Meaningful Use requirements, which demand that radiologists have an electronic report available within 24 hours of an examination. When following DICOM storage standards, healthcare providers are able to meet these expectations.
When reviewing the DICOM protocol, one finds that it is rather robust. Take, for instance, that every DICOM command is acknowledged. Then, consider that a device not only sends data, it is negotiating whether the receiver understands the data. Implicit version control is then established. Should a device fail to understand data in a DICOM-associated file, the sender can fall back to a previous version, or send the information to a separate destination.
Enterprise imaging strategies are also stepping up to better mange patient data within the electronic health records. This includes imaging data, obviously, which is governed by the DICOM standard. Enterprise imaging is referred to by some as the “new world” of clinical imaging and imaging IT.
The health image exchange, which is cloud-based, is also stepping up to provide efficiencies where they didn’t exist before. All DICOM data can be managed via cloud-based image exchanges. It’s a way for providers of all sizes to gain more control over their images, and it’s a way to also help patients with the access they want today.
At OffSite Image Management, Inc., we have 360-degree solutions that fit every budget. Contact us today and let’s discuss our take on the DICOM standard and how we can bring you the efficiencies you’ve been looking to gain for so long.