1. PACS
Picture Archive Communication Systems

2. DICOM Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine
The intent is to establish a universal language of radiology in order to facilitate the distribution of information.
Prior to DICOM, each manufacturer had proprietary image languages, often a unique language for each modality they offered.

3. Other Medical Computer Standards
Health Level 7 (HL7)
Integrating the Health Care Enterprise (IHE)

4. DICOM 3.0 Current standard for Digital Image Communication
DICOM Standards:
Storage Service Class as a user: Sends images (DICOM Export)
Storage Service Class as a provider: Receives Images (DICOM import)
Print Service Class as a user: Sends images over network to validated DICOM printer
Modality Worklist Management as a User: Allows access to DICOM-conformant HIS/RIS (Downloads pt name and demographics to modality device)

7. Internet or Intranet Access
Web
Internet or Intranet Access

8. Future Phases: Computerized Radiography Digital Radiography
Computer capture of X-ray Images
Digital Archive
Soft-Copy Interpretations
Pre-fetching images
Image distribution via CD instead of film
Every image available everywhere every time