Which digital format is used to communicate imaging data in radiology?

• A. JPEG
• B. TIFF
• C. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)
• D. Electronic Health Record

Answer: (C)

Imaging data in radiology is shared using a standard that bundles the image itself with all the accompanying patient and study information and defines how that data is transferred between machines and systems. This format is DICOM, which stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. DICOM is designed specifically for medical imaging workflows, so every image carries consistent metadata (like patient ID, study description, acquisition parameters, modality) and can move through PACS, workstations, archives, printers, and other devices from different manufacturers without compatibility issues. It also supports both single-frame and multi-frame images and uses a network protocol that allows reliable transfer over TCP/IP.

By contrast, JPEG and TIFF are general image formats used for everyday photos and pictures; they don’t provide the standardized medical metadata structure or interoperability guarantees needed for clinical imaging workflows. An Electronic Health Record is a system for organizing patient health information, not the format used to communicate imaging data.