When you hear the term ‘medical imaging’, the first picture that comes to mind is that of a radiograph, or an X-ray as it is more commonly known. While radiographs are the oldest and still the most frequently employed method of medical imaging, there is so much more to this intriguing and innovative field of science today.

One of the most frustrating things that can happen inside a doctor’s private practice is trying to view a patient’s images from a recent scan in vain. The computer is brand new, there is a high-speed internet line available, and the online DICOM viewer that the doctor recently downloaded should open the images—except it doesn’t!

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is a standard format that enables medical professionals to view, store, and share medical images irrespective of their geographic location or the devices they use, as long as those devices support the format. DICOM images need to be viewed through specific software called DICOM viewers that can read and display the format.

From CIS, HIS, EMR, and EHR, to RIS, DICOM, PACS, and cloud PACS, there are endless terms and abbreviations for the many different types of medical imaging information systems out there. One of the common pitfalls of professional jargon in any field is that terms get a bit mixed up, conflated, or misused every now and then and through day-to-day communication.

DICOM-short for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine-has become indispensable to any modern clinical setting that deals with medical imaging. Considering the ubiquitous need and utility of medical imaging in modern healthcare, the broad scope and application of DICOM is not hard to fathom.