Which standard defines radiology image formatting?

• A. Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM)
• B. Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)
• C. Electronic Health Record (EHR)
• D. International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (IDC-10)

Answer: (A)

Radiology image formatting is defined by a standard that specifies both how image data is stored and how it’s transmitted between devices. That standard is DICOM, which stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. It standardizes the file format for the pixel data and includes a header with patient information, study details, imaging modality, and other parameters, enabling different scanners, workstations, and systems to read and display the same image consistently. PACS is a storage and retrieval system that uses that standard to handle images; it isn’t the format itself. EHR systems manage patient health records, and ICD-10 codes diagnose conditions, not image formatting. So DICOM is the correct choice.