Medical imaging has fully transitioned over to the digital realm. Many healthcare facilities now do not routinely print films or store them physically. Instead, all medical images are acquired in a digital format specific to medical imaging, called the DICOM standard.

Medical imaging today largely deals with digital images rather than films. Most modern imaging techniques, such as CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, and PET scans are acquired as digital images on a computer. They then need to be processed, stored, and archived prior to viewing.

If you are someone who routinely deals with medical images, you are likely to be familiar with the term DICOM. DICOM, which is short for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, is a standardized imaging format that was developed by the American College of Radiology in conjunction with the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has carved a firm niche for itself in the world of medical imaging. Besides being radiation-free and, therefore, a safer form of medical imaging, it is also better suited for imaging non-bony anatomy of the body compared to the CT scan.

The ultrasound remains one of the most important diagnostic tools available in medical imaging. This stems from the fact that it is faster and cheaper than other methods of medical imaging, such as the CT scan or MRI.

The ultrasound is an imaging technology that is even older than traditional X-ray imaging. However, it was adapted for use in the medical field much later. Its first recorded use is in obstetrics in the 1950s.

Medical imaging technology today is at the peak of its development. Today, medical images are of the highest quality and resolution. But the improvement in quality comes at the cost of huge file sizes.

Medical imaging is one of the fastest growing areas in healthcare. Over the past few decades, it has evolved to include multiple imaging modalities including CT scans, MRIs, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine, to name a few.

Just over a hundred years ago, the advent of X-rays was considered a significant leap in medical diagnosis. Over the last century, simple radiography has expanded into a specialized field—diagnostic medical imaging.

Digital medical imaging has become an integral part of radiology. Today’s radiologist needs to be familiar with the technical aspects of medical imaging. At the forefront of medical imaging technology is the DICOM standard.

As technology finds its way into every aspect of medicine, great advances have been made in the field of radiology. Radiology once depended on simple two-dimensional images that needed to be manually developed and fixed prior to viewing.

Medical imaging has progressed by leaps and bounds over the last few decades. Medical imaging today plays a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment planning of even simple conditions. With advances in the actual process of imaging, headway has also been made in the process of viewing, storing, and sharing images after their acquisition.

The internal organs and bones of our body are covered by skin and other tissue barriers, and are therefore not visible to the naked eye. The term ‘medical imaging’ is used to refer to techniques that allow us to view the interior of the body.

Medical imaging technology has come a long way from simple radiographs and is now represented by advanced, digitalized modalities such as CT and MRI. As the use of medical imaging becomes more widespread, there is a need to improve on other aspects of the workflow associated with imaging—reading the images and forming diagnostic reports as well as proper storage and retrieval of medical images.

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.