Medical images are increasingly becoming digitised. However, the exponential growth of digitised medical images poses an immense challenge in terms of management, compression and retrieval. It is essential that image archive storage solution providers, picture archiving and communication system (PACS) vendors and image modality manufacturers become aware of the growing requirements of storage space.

"There is an increasing demand for digitising medical images as opposed to the traditional film-based images," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Shriram Shanmugham. "Unlike film-based images, digital images do not decay over time and can easily be stored for longer periods of time. Digitised images require less inventory space and the same image can be accessed by multiple physicians simultaneously."

Moreover, the turn-around time from the initial meeting with the physician to availing complete diagnosis is reduced. As a result, patients can expect quicker appointments with physicians and they can have permanent access to the images from remote sites.

However, certain images are not DICOM compatible and require a service-oriented approach in order to be archived. This is primarily because evolving healthcare standards such as DICOM and HL7 are being updated at a much slower pace than image archiving and image modality technology.

Other challenges include ensuring interoperability with hospital-based information systems. Another issue is that diagnostic procedures such as echo and angiogram generate a high resolution, large file-size images, and their long retrieval times pose a concern for hospitals.

"Some PACS vendors provide their own unique solution to archiving images that are not DICOM compatible, while others think it is wise to work around the evolving healthcare standards so that, in the future, systems interoperability is streamlined," remarks Shanmugham. "This trend of providing solutions to images that are not DICOM compatible will be prevalent over the next five to seven years."

The digitised medical imaging archives market requires complete cooperation among the following three major industry participants: PACS vendors, image modality manufacturers and storage solution providers. Some PACS vendors have indicated that it would be convenient for them if image modality manufacturers provided them with test data before an image modality is released into the market. By having the test data before hand, PACS vendors affirmed that they could easily establish connectivity (interoperability) of their module with the image modality.

"Hospitals cannot afford to experience an image server downtime," concludes Shanmugham. "It is therefore essential that storage solution providers devise innovative technology that obviates the possibility of such server downtime."

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Strategic Outlook into Archive Requirements for Image Management in Medical Imaging is part of the Medical Imaging Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: European PACS Market, Laboratory Information Systems in Europe and, Assessment of Regulations for Medical Imaging in Europe All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

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