Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)

Why it matters

A hospital usually buys imaging equipment from several manufacturers over many years. DICOM is what lets an X ray unit, a CT scanner, a PACS and a reporting workstation work together. The DICOM Standards Committee describes DICOM as the international standard for medical images and related information [1], and it is also published by ISO as ISO 12052 [2].

Key points

• A DICOM object carries the image together with information such as patient identity, study and modality [1].
• Network services include storage, query and retrieve, and modality worklist, so scheduled studies reach the imaging unit with patient details already attached.
• DICOMweb defines web services for storing, querying and retrieving images over HTTP [3].
• Buyers should ask each supplier for a DICOM conformance statement, which sets out exactly which services and objects a product supports, before equipment or software is accepted.

In Moana

MOANA PACS stores and exchanges studies in DICOM and integrates with an existing hospital PACS.

Sources

1. About DICOM: overview, DICOM Standards Committee, NEMA, accessed 2026
2. ISO 12052:2026 Health informatics, Digital imaging and communication in medicine including workflow and data management, International Organization for Standardization, 2026
3. DICOMweb, NEMA as DICOM secretariat, accessed 2026