Core Intensives Live: DICOM® Advanced 

DICOM® Advanced is an intensive online, instructor-led training program that provides a detailed understanding of the current Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM®) standard and helps prepare participants for DICOM® (CDIP) certification. Through interactive virtual classroom sessions, this course covers DICOM® data formats, encoding, protocol, and structured reporting. Participants will explore DICOM® services, including Storage Commitment and MPPS, along with important features like image quality, enhanced SOP Classes, DICOMWeb, and troubleshooting. Practical examples of DICOM® conformance statements will be used during the training. Whether you are new to or already have experience with DICOM®, this course equips you with comprehensive expertise to navigate its intricacies and latest enhancements.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this course, students will be able to: 

• Analyze the DICOM® standard to identify and describe the key components of data formats, including their respective encoding mechanisms (VR’s).  
• Evaluate the effectiveness of DICOM® protocol for both association management and DICOM® commands in facilitating seamless communication and data exchange in medical imaging systems.  
• Design structured reporting templates for ultrasound measurements, key images, and dose reporting, utilizing the DICOM® standard to ensure consistency and compatibility across different healthcare systems.  
• Compare and contrast the features and functionalities of DICOM® services, such as Storage Commitment and MPPS, to determine their potential benefits in enhancing medical imaging workflows and patient care.  
• Apply problem-solving strategies to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to image quality, DICOMWeb implementation, and interoperability challenges within DICOM® compliant systems.  

Format/Class Structure 

This is a live, virtual course held on SIIM’s Zoom platform. Participants will engage in instructor-led, interactive learning with hands-on training using SIIM’s Virtual Hospital Program (VHP). 

Learners are also provided the following free resources: 

• PDF handout of training presentations  
• Certified DICOM Integration Professional (CDIP) eStudy Guide  
• DICOM Basics, Fourth Edition eBook  
• HL7 Reference Guide eBook  

Training Duration

Each training day is 4.5 hours. This time includes small breaks throughout the training and a longer 30-minute break approximately halfway through each day. 

Who Should Take This Course 

The Core Intensives Live: DICOM® Advanced course is specifically designed for professionals in the healthcare and medical imaging industry seeking to enhance their expertise in DICOM®. This course is ideal for software developers, Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) administrators, interface analysts, and system integrators who want to deepen their understanding of the DICOM® standard and its latest enhancements. Whether participants have some prior knowledge of DICOM® or are new to the subject, this intensive online training equips them with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate DICOM® intricacies, implement DICOM®-compliant solutions, and pursue DICOM® certification, thereby bolstering their capabilities and advancing their careers in medical imaging and data exchange.  

Course Schedule

Day 1: DICOM negotiation and image/non-image objects  

• Negotiation process and DICOM associations 
• SCU/SCP roles 
• Information object definitions, modules, attributes, tags, types  
• Image objects: for processing/presentation, single/multi frame, enhanced, primary/secondary, bits allocated/stored, signed/unsigned, pixel data 
• Special objects, waveforms, pdf’s etc.  
• SOP class concept 
• Transfer and abstract Syntaxes 

Day 2: DICOM services classes and DICOM messages  

• Verification 
• Storage 
• Storage commitment  
• Query/retrieve 
• Modality worklist 
• MPPS (Modality performed procedure step) 
• UPS (Unified procedure step) 
• Structured reporting  

Day 3: Image quality and DICOM Web 

• Image quality and pixel pipeline 
• Overlay 
• Presentation state  
• DICOMWeb (WADO etc.)  
• Review of the complete workflow tying it all together  

Day 4: Print, compression, media, conformance, tools and troubleshooting 

• Print SOP classes 
• No/lossless/lossy compression 
• GSDF (Grayscale standard display function) 
• Media exchange, application profiles 
• DICOM conformance statements, UML diagramming 
• Gap Analysis  
• DICOM troubleshooting, common problems and tools (e.g. network sniffer) 

CE Credit

The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine has approved this activity for 16.0 hours of SIIM IIP Credits towards certification and re-certification by the American Board of Imaging Informatics (ABII).

To receive credit for the activity, registrants must complete the course modules and survey.

Note: In order to receive credits for any events/learning you attend you must select your eligible credit types found in the CE & Certification section of your MySIIM Account profile.

After registering for the course, navigate to My Learning in your MySIIM Account profile to access the content.

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