Which is used to move medical images from the modality to the viewing/storage device?

• A. DICOM
• B. HL7
• C. PACS
• D. JPEG

Answer: (A)

Medical image transfer between a modality and viewing/storage systems is governed by a universal standard that defines how image data and patient information are formatted and communicated. That standard is DICOM. It specifies both the file structure for medical images and the network protocol used to send them, ensuring interoperability across equipment from different manufacturers.

HL7 handles clinical and administrative data messaging, not image transfer. PACS is the system that stores and provides access to images and may rely on DICOM for transfers, but it’s not the transfer standard itself. JPEG is a general image format and isn’t suitable for the medical imaging workflow because it can compromise metadata and image fidelity.

So, DICOM is the appropriate mechanism for moving medical images.