DICOM is the standard for handling, printing, sharing and storing medical imaging. Essentially, DICOM is an application layer network protocol developed by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the AmericanCollege of Radiology for CAT, Ultrasound and MRI scan images. Widely successful and implemented, DICOM is now controlled by the DICOM Standards Committee.
PACS allow medical institutions to capture, store and share their medical imaging both internally and externally with varying degrees of success. Many healthcare providers prefer a vendor-neutral archiving architecture (VNA) because they want to have the capability to share their imaging with specialists working at other hospitals or clinics.
All PACS have four components to them: an imaging system, such as the CAT or MRI; a network that is set up with security in mind so patient information can be exchanged without fear of compromise; workstations where the images can be viewed and an archiving system, usually a secure data center, where the information can be stored. These data centers also provide the disaster recovery solution that can keep radiologists, doctors and specialists within arms length of the images whenever they are needed.
DICOM exchanges are in greater need now that they are staring down stricter, more comprehensive requirements from the federal government. With the strategic placement of the DICOM standard in PACS technology, healthcare providers are able to develop these exchanges, often with VNA solutions. Increasingly, patients are seeking the advice of multiple medical professionals, which means the need for a more direct, clear form of communication is necessary. DICOM and PACS come together to provide this exchange of information between institutions with disparate technology.
Very few medical imaging centers continue to use film – they’ve almost all have moved to digital technologies. To view their digital images, they’ve created PACS and share them through other DICOM entities. The images are often stored in Level IV data centers where the security of the patient information is completely protected. Another perk to going with a Level IV center is that disaster recovery safeguards are also offered. No matter where these data centers are located, healthcare providers will always have access to the information in them.
A company that knows the importance of DICOM and PACS is OffSite Image Management, Inc. Professionals with many years of experience in radiology departments staff OffSite. They know how important medical imaging is and that the smooth delivery of these images between healthcare providers is essential in providing better quality patient care. OffSite’s PACS solution is bringing improvements to the healthcare industry. The goal is to help radiology departments become more efficient, and they’re hitting the mark every time.