Digital imaging improves cardiac care

For cardiology, the use of a technological standard in digital echocardiography, nuclear medicine, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging has become the preferred imaging method.

Because computers are increasingly being used in clinical applications, there is a need for cooperative functions between medical imaging devices, analytical technologies and hospital networks. Research presented at the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) Integrative Cardiovascular Imaging Conference indicates that medical imaging is greatly improved employing Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards. The standard was developed as a means for transfer of images and data between devices manufactured by a number of vendors. DICOM. As explained by the ACC, DICOM is a "file format and network protocol for exchanging medical images, meant to allow these images to be taken from any imaging device, transmitted across any networks, reviewed on any computer and stored on any type of archive."

The mid-August Conference was ACC's first on the matter. Beside the Conference, a joint initiative called Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) was established, using DICOM in its work with networking servers and vendors to design and create complementary functions. As one of the medical domains across medicine, IHE Cardiology is supported by ACC, the European Society of Cardiology and the Japanese College of Cardiology.