Back in 1983, the American College of Radiology (ACR) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) came together to standardize medical imaging communication processes.
They came together to resolve problems with the processes involved in medical imaging transmission faced by the various stakeholders in the healthcare system—problems that are still relevant today.
We only have to look at the growth rates of the medical imaging market to understand why data communications standardization is essential. The market will be worth $37 billion by 2022— also indicating an increase in the need for medical imaging equipment. These numbers also draw attention to rising volumes of data passing through healthcare facilities. The increasing data volumes call for efficient data management and effective communicability of medical imaging data— needs that DICOM intended to resolve.
What Does DICOM Achieve?
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) requires medical imaging equipment manufacturers and healthcare facilities to use the same imaging protocols across the board. OEMs must manufacture imaging equipment and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) that supports DICOM-specified imaging requirements. Similarly, all healthcare facilities must follow DICOM-specified image storage protocols.
Within the context of data creation, processing, and management, DICOM represents a universal data management standard to increase data accessibility within healthcare systems. With the implementation of DICOM, medical researchers and doctors alike could share information and eliminate delays in data transmission and acquisition. DICOM supplements digital imaging equipment by increasing data transmission rates by universalizing the medium of data transmission and storage protocols. For as long as you have DICOM compliant hardware in your healthcare or research facility, you can easily decode and view medical images from any healthcare facility around the world.
Why Do YOU Need DICOM Compliant Hardware?
The ease of communication brought by DICOM effectively merges various healthcare facilities into one singular organism that can pool its resources and improve healthcare provision. Information retrieval becomes easier, consults don’t take as long, and it becomes easier to coordinate activities within and between healthcare facilities. Ultimately, imaging and healthcare facilities become much more efficient with the adoption of DICOM compliant imaging equipment.
If you think of healthcare as a data-driven industry, where service quality relies on efficient data management, it becomes apparent that DICOM compliant imaging hardware can only improve data processing capabilities. With these improvements, DICOM compliant equipment offers a much-needed data management solution to enhance your existing service provision processes.
ExamVue is a premium supplier of digital radiography equipment and software in the United States. Our products include DR flat panel detectors, image acquisition software, and PACS. Get in touch with us today for more information on our services or to place an order for our equipment.