Medical facilities both large and small have come to rely on the DICOM medical imaging format as the basis from which their entire radiology departments operate.
DICOM is similar to JPEG format that is used on personal computers as an image format for photographs, but DICOM has been designed for use in a medical environment.
Because of that, it is the universal language that medical image acquisition, archival, viewing and distribution equipment uses so that all of the different components can read each other's data.
A DICOM viewer is a key component that everyone who works in radiology uses for looking at digital medical images.
At their hearts, DICOM viewers are personal computers that are running viewing software.
With this software in place the viewer enables users to display and edit digital medical images.
Some viewers are also connected to the Internet.
With this additional feature, digital images may be sent over the Internet, which enables consultations with physicians located anywhere in the world with a workstation running the appropriate software.
This translates into time and money saved, with the added benefit of better patient care being the result.
Digital medical images of all varieties can be viewed on DICOM viewers.
This includes those that offer 3D renderings.
These viewers offer physicians the ability to look at cross sections of images, rotate them and look at selected slices of an image, something that was impossible with a film image.
Many medical facilities also use these digital viewers to help them stay in compliance with HIPPA regulations concerning patient privacy.
Everyone using the viewer must be given a username and password and must log in to have access to digital images, and this control mechanism helps to provide security to the system.
Another benefit that medical facilities with viewers enjoy is the speed and savings that they achieve.
With the click of a mouse and within seconds, authorized personnel can bring up any digital images that they require, unlike using hard-copy film images that required a great deal of physical labor for maintenance and use.
Because the speed helps to improve workflow, it also helps to save the medical office money as well.
Useful DICOM viewers are available from different vendors and offer a variety of features and functionalities.
You can learn more about what is available by visiting a medical imaging distributor's website for more information.