What is DICOM | DICOM Explained

Summary

This video script offers an insightful look into the DICOM standard, a critical protocol in healthcare for managing medical images. It follows Dr. Nugget, a radiologist, through his day as he interprets various images like X-rays and ultrasounds. The script explains how DICOM facilitates the standardization, storage, transmission, and viewing of these images, regardless of the equipment manufacturer. It also touches on the role of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Electronic Medical Record Systems (EMRs) in the workflow, highlighting the universality of DICOM in healthcare IT.

Takeaways

• 📚 DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine, which is a standard used in healthcare for medical imaging.
• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Nugget, a radiologist, uses DICOM to interpret various medical images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs for his patients.
• 🏥 The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system is used to track and record patient data, including orders for radiology procedures.
• 📈 Radiology Information System (RIS) updates with patient status, informing clinical staff when patients are ready for procedures.
• 🔬 X-rays use radioactive light to acquire two-dimensional, high-resolution, grayscale images.
• 📊 Ultrasounds use sound waves to create images that can be viewed in color, still image, or movie format.
• 💾 DICOM ensures that all medical images are stored in a universal format, regardless of the manufacturer.
• 🌐 DICOM allows for the transfer of images using the same standard, facilitating the use of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS).
• 🖥️ Dr. Nugget can access and view images from PACS on his computer, using DICOM viewers, to interpret and create reports for patients.
• 🖨️ DICOM also supports the printing of images, enabling radiologists to discuss findings with patients using physical copies.

Q & A

What does DICOM stand for?

DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine.

What is the purpose of the DICOM standard?

The DICOM standard defines how to query, retrieve, display, store, transmit, and print images in a universal format.

What types of medical images does Dr. Nugget interpret in the script?

Dr. Nugget interprets medical images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.

What is an EMR and how does it relate to DICOM?

An EMR, or Electronic Medical Record, is a system for tracking and recording patient data. It is related to DICOM in that it can be used to order and schedule procedures that generate DICOM images.

How does the radiology information system (RIS) update when a patient checks in?

When a patient checks in at the front desk, the RIS is updated with the new status of the patient, informing the clinical staff that the patient is ready to undergo procedures.

What is the difference between X-rays and ultrasounds as described in the script?

X-rays use radioactive light to acquire monochromatic, two-dimensional images, while ultrasounds use sound waves to acquire images that can be viewed in color, still image, or movie format.

What is PACS and how does it interact with DICOM?

PACS, or Picture Archiving and Communication System, is used to store, retrieve, distribute, and present images for clinical review. It interacts with DICOM by storing images in DICOM format, allowing for standardized transfer and viewing.

How does Dr. Nugget view the DICOM images?

Dr. Nugget views the DICOM images using a PACS viewer or a DICOM viewer on his computer.

What is the clinical workflow described in the script?

The clinical workflow described involves receiving orders, scheduling procedures, capturing and storing images in DICOM format, transferring images to PACS, viewing and interpreting images, creating reports, and discussing findings with patients.

What are some of the upcoming topics mentioned for future videos?

Upcoming topics include imaging and healthcare IT as a whole, PACS radiology, HL7, deep dives into specific DICOM operations, and the clinical aspects of various imaging modalities.

How does the DICOM standard facilitate the workflow for Dr. Nugget?

The DICOM standard facilitates Dr. Nugget's workflow by enabling the storage, transmission, viewing, and printing of images using a universal format, regardless of the modality or vendor.

Outlines

00:00

🏥 Introduction to DICOM in Healthcare Imaging

This paragraph introduces DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) as a standard used in healthcare for medical imaging. It sets the scene with Dr. Nugget, a radiologist at Bearcat Mountain Hospital, who interprets medical images like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. The paragraph explains the role of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system in tracking patient data and managing orders for imaging procedures. It also describes the process of how patients undergo imaging procedures, such as chest X-rays and ultrasounds, and how these different types of images are prepared and checked for quality before being sent to the radiologist for interpretation.

05:01

📚 The Role of DICOM in Image Management

This paragraph delves into the specifics of how DICOM facilitates the management of medical images. It explains that DICOM is a universal format that allows for the standardization of image storage, retrieval, display, transmission, and printing. The paragraph follows the process of how ultrasound and X-ray images are captured and stored in DICOM format, independent of the manufacturer. It also discusses the use of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) for image storage and retrieval, and how radiologists like Dr. Nugget can use DICOM viewers to interpret these images. The paragraph concludes with the creation of a final report by the radiologist and the various options for sharing the images with patients, such as printing or burning them onto a CD.

10:02

🔍 Recap and Future Insights on Healthcare IT

The final paragraph serves as a recap of the video's content, summarizing the key points about DICOM's role in the workflow of medical imaging. It highlights the universality of DICOM in storing, transmitting, viewing, and printing images across different modalities and vendors. The paragraph also teases upcoming content that will explore imaging and healthcare IT in more depth, including discussions on PACS, radiology, HL7, and specific DICOM operations. It invites viewers to stay tuned for more educational videos on healthcare IT for beginners and advanced topics, promising a comprehensive course outline on the channel.

Keywords

💡DICOM

DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. It is a standard protocol for the transmission, sharing, and storage of medical images and related information. In the video, DICOM is central to the theme as it enables the radiologist, Dr. Nugget, to interpret various medical images such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs from different devices in a standardized format.

💡Radiologist

A radiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in interpreting medical images to diagnose and treat diseases. In the script, Dr. Nugget is a radiologist who uses DICOM to view and interpret different types of medical images for his patients, highlighting the role's importance in healthcare.

💡Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

An EMR refers to a digital version of patients' medical records that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care provider organization. In the video, Dr. Nugget checks the EMR system to receive orders for patient procedures, demonstrating how EMRs facilitate patient data management and workflow in healthcare.

💡Radiology Information System (RIS)

RIS is a software system designed to manage administrative tasks in radiology, such as scheduling exams, tracking progress, and handling billing. In the script, when the patient checks in, the RIS is updated with the patient's status, indicating readiness for procedures, which is crucial for the coordination of medical imaging services.

💡X-ray

An X-ray is a medical imaging technique using ionizing radiation to view the body's internal structures. In the video, the patient undergoes a chest X-ray, which involves shooting radioactive light through the body to acquire static grayscale images, showcasing the use of X-rays in diagnostic procedures.

💡Ultrasound

Ultrasound, also known as sonography, is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of organs and tissues within the body. The script mentions the patient undergoing an ultrasound, which uses sound waves to acquire images that can be viewed in color, still image, or movie format.

💡Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)

PACS is a medical imaging technology that provides economical storage and convenient access to images from multiple modalities. In the video, PACS is used to store the DICOM-formatted images from various modalities, allowing Dr. Nugget to access and interpret them on his computer.

💡Modality

In medical imaging, a modality refers to the method or type of imaging technique used, such as X-ray, CT, MRI, or ultrasound. The script discusses different modalities, emphasizing how DICOM standardizes the handling of images from diverse sources.

💡DICOM Viewer

A DICOM viewer is a software application that enables the viewing, analysis, and manipulation of DICOM images. In the video, Dr. Nugget uses a DICOM viewer, likely integrated with PACS, to interpret the images from the patient's X-ray and ultrasound, highlighting the tool's importance in radiology.

💡Healthcare IT

Healthcare IT refers to the application of information technology across various aspects of healthcare, including electronic health records, telemedicine, and medical image processing. The video script touches on various aspects of healthcare IT, such as DICOM, PACS, and EMRs, which are integral to modern healthcare delivery.

Highlights

DICOM is a standard used in healthcare for imaging.

Dr. Nugget, a radiologist, interprets medical images for patients.

Medical images include X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs.

DICOM enables viewing of various images through a standardized format.

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system tracks and records patient data.

Radiology Information System (RIS) updates patient status for clinical staff.

Chest X-ray uses radioactive light to acquire data.

Ultrasound uses sound waves to acquire images.

DICOM standardizes image storage regardless of the manufacturer.

Images are transferred using the same DICOM standard.

Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) stores images for access.

DICOM viewers allow side-by-side comparison of different image types.

Dr. Nugget creates a final report for patients using DICOM print function.

DICOM facilitates workflows, orders, modalities, EMRs, and PACS.

DICOM's universal standard allows for image storage, transmission, viewing, and printing.

Upcoming videos will cover imaging, healthcare IT, PACS, RIS, HL7, and more.

The channel will provide a course outline for healthcare IT beginners and advanced topics.

The video aims to help viewers advance their careers in the healthcare IT industry.

Transcripts

what is dicom

let's take a moment to understand the

imaging standard used in healthcare

the dicom standard

[Music]

meet dr nugget dr nugget works at

bearcat mountain hospital wait what

dr nugget is a radiologist his job

is to interpret medical images for his

patients

[Music]

he will need to view a variety of images

such as x-rays

cat scans and mris

[Music]

now let's take a closer look at how this

can be accomplished

using dicom

let's do this by watching dr nugget as

he goes through a day in his life

well after coffee of course

dr nugget checks the electronic medical

record system

for now let's just think of the emr as a

way to track and record patient data

[Music]

dr nugget receives two orders for a

patient

one order is an x-ray of the chest the

other order

is an ultrasound of the heart

the radiology system within the emr

indicates that the patient

is actually scheduled for today

[Music]

when the patient arrives he'll be able

to check in at the front desk

once checked in by the front desk the

radiology information system is now

updated with the new status of the

patient

this informs the clinical staff that the

patient is ready to undergo his

procedures

[Music]

the chest x-ray

the patient undergoes the chest x-ray

this diagnostic procedure shoots

radioactive light

through the body to acquire data

this radioactive form of light is called

an x-ray

as the x-rays pass through the body

static grayscale images are acquired

these images are typically

two-dimensional and high resolution

the x-ray technologist will now check

that he's acquired all the required

images

and ensure the quality of each image

before he sends our patient off to the

next procedure

now our patient is ready for his next

procedure

the sonogram also known as the

ultrasound

[Music]

the patient undergoes the ultrasound

procedure this diagnostic procedure uses

sound to acquire data

sound waves bounce off the patient's

organs to acquire images

these images can be viewed in color

still image or movie format

alright what a long day so it looks like

our patient's done

and now both the x-ray and the

ultrasounds are ready to be sent to dr

nugget

hmm but can that be done both these

images are so different

okay quick recap here we've got two

types of images

first we've got x-rays then we've got

ultrasounds

as we stated before the x-rays are

generated by using radioactive

light to acquire these images

[Music]

and the images themselves are typically

monochromatic two-dimensional images

so in contrast the ultrasound uses

sound instead of light to acquire the

images

instead of your black and white images

with ultrasounds

we can see that we have videos and

images in color

to add more variety to the mix these

devices could be manufactured by

different vendors

regardless dr nugget needs to view both

image types

on one computer ultimately

these images need to function in a

universal format

that's where daikon comes in dicom

stands for

digital imaging and communications and

medicine

dicom is a standard that defines how to

query retrieve

display

store transmit

[Music]

and print images

[Music]

uh can we get back to the story

[Music]

so how does dicom help us

well when the ultrasound images are

captured and generated

they're stored in dicom format

[Music]

when the x-ray images are captured then

generated

they too are stored in dicom format

dicom store ensures all images are

stored in a standard format

regardless of who the manufacturer is

[Music]

because we're using a universal standard

to store the images

we can also transfer the images using

the same standard

[Music]

the images can be transferred to a

picture archive and communication system

otherwise known as pax

from this pack storage dr nugget can

access these images onto his computer

[Music]

if he wants you can even view these

images side by side

[Music]

by utilizing a pax viewer or a daikon

viewer

dr nugget will carefully interpret these

images

[Music]

at this point the images look normal so

dr nugget creates a final report for his

patients

by utilizing the dicom print function dr

nugget can print a copy of the images

you can also burn the images onto a cd

finally to complete the workflow our

radiologist can discuss his findings

with this patient

[Music]

we've gone through an entire workflow to

see how diacom is

integral in every step of the way good

job doc

now only 230 scans left to read

wow we've learned a lot here we talked

about workflows

orders modalities emrs and packs

so let's just do a quick recap

in our story dicom allowed us to store

transmit view and print images using a

universal standard

we talked about dicom store without

modalities stored the images to the pax

archive

we talked about daikon viewing when dr

nugget uses pax viewer to look at the

images

finally we talked about daikon print

when dr nugget printed out his x-ray to

review with his patients

[Music]

so as you can see thanks to the

universal dicom standard

we can perform these functions

regardless of the modality or the vendor

please like and subscribe to this

channel to learn more

in the upcoming videos we'll talk about

imaging and healthcare i.t as a whole

we'll talk about pax radiology bnas and

hl7

[Music]

we'll also do a deep dive into dicom

we'll talk about specific

operations such as query retrieve see

fine c moves and web services

[Music]

we'll also learn about the clinical

aspect of each modality

for example we'll talk about nuclear

medicine radiation physics and the

effects of ionizing radiation

we'll discuss other methods of imaging

including magnetic resonance imaging

ultrasound and photographic images taken

from a regular camera

for our planned releases you can expect

to see more videos about healthcare it

for beginners

but as we create more content we'll dig

into the more advanced topics

whether you're interested in learning

how to advance your career in the

industry or if you're looking to break

into the field

stay tuned for a course outline on this

channel

[Music]

hopefully you found this video helpful

and if you did please like

and subscribe for more videos to come

beak ae