What Do Medical Centers Want In A Dicom Viewer?

Many in the medical profession see the value that comes from making the switch from film radiography to digital medical imaging. Instead of waiting for films to be developed and returned, you can have instant results, which can be critical in providing the best patient care. One of the important components in a fully operational digital medical imaging format is a dicom viewer. This is a type of software that allows your computer or medical monitor to read the digital images taken in nearly any modality.

In the past, only larger hospitals could afford the cost of installing and maintaining digital medical imaging equipment and software, but as with all things electronic, prices have been dramatically reduced in recent years, making these viewers an affordable option for small and medium-sized medical offices and other facilities.

Not only are dicom viewers used on-site in medical offices and clinics, but certain viewer software applications are web based. This means that authorized medical personnel are not limited to viewing digital medical images in the office, but can enter username and password and access those important digital images anywhere there is workstation with Internet access. This improves patient care, because consultations can occur online with your choice of specialist physicians located anywhere in the world. It also saves the costs of travel and accommodations that were needed to make such consultations feasible in the past, making it a more affordable viewing solution for the small and mid-sized medical facility.

You will, of course, need a computer monitor to see your digital images. You can use a personal computer that runs Windows, Mac or Linux. Some of the finest dicom viewer monitors are suited specifically to medical uses, and are known as diagnostic monitors. These monitors are large enough to accommodate full studies, and are suited to specific digital image reading of mammograms, ultrasound, endoscope, MRI and CT images. Certain monitors offer color display, and many offer the high resolution and high definition needed for the appropriate display of the digital medical images that you most often use in your medical office.

You may use dicom viewers together with PACS systems, turning your computer into a fully functional medical storehouse allowing you to archive and distribute your digital images efficiently.