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PACS (picture archiving & communication systems)
What it is
Picture Archiving and Communication System - the software layer that stores, retrieves and distributes medical images in DICOM format across a hospital or lab network, replacing physical film libraries and hand-carried jackets
It is what makes digital imaging useful rather than merely digital, and is the integration point for teleradiology, electronic records and AI reading tools
Impact on industries
- Completes the displacement digital radiography starts - once images are archived and shared electronically, film has no residual role even as a distribution medium
- Raises radiologist productivity and enables reporting to be centralised or outsourced, which underpins hub-and-spoke imaging and teleradiology models
- Alignment with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission gives adoption a policy push beyond the individual hospital's business case
- Adoption is concentrated in tertiary and urban hospitals; cost, IT capability and integration effort keep smaller facilities on film or standalone digital