SIST EN ISO 12052:2026

Health informatics - Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management (ISO 12052:2026)

Within the field of health informatics, the DICOM (digital imaging and communication in medicine) standard addresses the exchange of digital images, and information related to the production and management of those images, between both medical imaging equipment and systems concerned with the management and communication of that information, such as Picture Archiving anc Communication System (PACS), Hospital Information System (HIS) and Radiology Information System (RIS).
This document is equivalent to part 1 of DICOM. As such, it normatively describes the content of DICOM (Clause 6) and the requirements to make a claim of conformance (Clause 5).
The DICOM standard is applicable to diagnostic medical imaging as practiced in radiology, cardiology, pathology, dentistry, ophthalmology and related disciplines, and image-based therapies such as interventional radiology, radiotherapy and surgery. It is also applicable to a wide range of image and non-image related information exchanged in clinical, research, veterinary, and other medical environments.

Medizinische Informatik - Digitale Bildverarbeitung und Kommunikation in der Medizin (DICOM) inclusive Workflow und Datenmanagement (ISO 12052:2026)

Informatique de santé - Imagerie numérique et communication en médecine (DICOM) incluant le déroulement des opérations et la gestion des données (ISO 12052:2026)

Dans le domaine de l’informatique de santé, la norme DICOM (imagerie numérique et communication en médecine) traite de l’échange d’images numériques et d’informations liées à la production et à la gestion de ces images, entre les équipements d’imagerie médicale et les systèmes concernés par la gestion et la communication de ces informations, tels que le système de communication d’archivage d’images (PACS), le système d’information hospitalier (HIS) et le système d’information radiologique (RIS).
Le présent document est équivalent à la partie 1 de la norme DICOM. À ce titre, il décrit de manière normative le contenu de la norme DICOM (Article 6) et les exigences pour revendiquer la conformité (Article 5).
La norme DICOM s’applique à l’imagerie médicale de diagnostic telle qu’elle est pratiquée en radiologie, cardiologie, pathologie, dentisterie, ophtalmologie et disciplines associées, et aux thérapies basées sur l’image, telles que la radiologie interventionnelle, la radiothérapie et la chirurgie. Elle s’applique également à une large gamme d’informations en lien ou non avec l’image qui sont échangées dans des environnements cliniques, axés sur la recherche, vétérinaires et autres.

Zdravstvena informatika - Digitalno slikanje in komunikacija v medicini (DICOM), vključno z upravljanjem poteka dela in podatkov (ISO 12052:2026)

Na področju zdravstvene informatike standard DICOM (digital imaging and communication in medicine) obravnava izmenjavo digitalnih slik in informacij, povezanih s proizvodnjo in upravljanjem teh slik, med medicinsko slikovno opremo in sistemi, ki se ukvarjajo z upravljanjem in komunikacijo teh informacij, kot so Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS - sistem za arhiviranje in komunikacijo slik), Hospital Information System (HIS - bolnišnični informacijski sistem) in Radiology Information System (RIS - radiološki informacijski sistem).
Ta dokument je enakovreden delu 1 DICOM. Kot tak normativno opisuje vsebino DICOM (točka 6) in zahteve za uveljavljanje skladnosti (točka 5).
Standard DICOM je uporaben za diagnostično medicinsko slikanje, kot se izvaja v radiologiji, kardiologiji, patologiji, zobozdravstvu, oftalmologiji in sorodnih disciplinah, ter za terapije, ki temeljijo na slikah, kot so intervencijska radiologija, radioterapija in kirurgija. Prav tako je uporaben za širok spekter informacij, povezanih s slikami in neslikovnimi informacijami, ki se izmenjujejo v kliničnih, raziskovalnih, veterinarskih in drugih medicinskih okoljih.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 17-Jun-2025
• Publication Date: 17-May-2026
• ICS: 35.240.80 - IT applications in health care technology
• Technical Committee: ITC - Information technology
• Current Stage: 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 31-Mar-2026
• Due Date: 05-Jun-2026
• Completion Date: 18-May-2026
• Ref Project: EN ISO 12052:2026 - Health informatics - Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management (ISO 12052:2026)

Relations

• Replaces: SIST EN ISO 12052:2018 - Health informatics - Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management (ISO 12052:2017)
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2026
• Referred By: SIST EN ISO 11073-10201:2005 - Health informatics - Point-of-care medical device communication - Part 10201: Domain information model (ISO/IEEE 11073-10201:2004)
• Effective Date: 11-Mar-2026

Overview

SIST EN ISO 12052:2026 - Health informatics - Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management - is an essential international standard published by CEN and ISO for interoperability in healthcare IT. This standard defines consistent methods for exchanging digital medical images and managing associated information across diverse systems and devices. DICOM, as specified in this standard, is foundational for diagnostic and image-guided healthcare, supporting modalities such as radiology, cardiology, pathology, dentistry, ophthalmology, surgery, and more. It enables efficient data and workflow management among medical imaging equipment, healthcare information systems, and picture archiving solutions.

Key Topics

• Scope and Principles

  • Addresses digital image exchange and associated workflow/data management within health informatics.
  • Facilitates connectivity between medical imaging devices (such as CT or MR scanners) and systems like PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), HIS (Hospital Information System), and RIS (Radiology Information System).
  • Applicable to both image and non-image data in clinical, research, and veterinary environments.

• Core Components

  • Conformance Requirements: Devices and systems claiming compliance must provide a conformance statement, ensuring clear communication of capabilities and interoperability.
  • Information Object Definitions: Abstract models representing real-world medical entities, crucial for ensuring data consistency.
  • Service Classes: Definitions for operations like image storage, query/retrieve, worklist management, and print management.
  • Data Structure and Encoding: Specifies encoding rules for reliable data exchange and storage, supporting multiple media types and compression techniques.

• Document Structure

  • The standard aligns with DICOM Part 1, introducing core concepts and references to further normative requirements and technical details described in subsequent DICOM documents.
  • Promotes global applicability, localization, and continuous maintenance to respond to evolving technology and regional workflows.

Applications

• Medical Imaging Workflows

  • Supports seamless integration and workflow automation between imaging equipment and healthcare IT systems.
  • Ensures standardized storage, retrieval, and transmission of imaging data, streamlining clinical processes.

• Interoperability

  • Enables multi-vendor environments by defining uniform communication protocols and data formats.
  • Facilitates interoperability between PACS, HIS, RIS, and modality workstations, improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

• Compliance and Quality Assurance

  • DICOM-conformant systems assure regulatory bodies and stakeholders of baseline interoperability and data reliability.
  • Vendors and healthcare providers use conformance statements to compare system capabilities for procurement and system integration.

• Clinical and Research Environments

  • Applicable beyond human healthcare, supporting veterinary, preclinical, and research imaging data exchange.
  • Provides a robust framework for managing imaging datasets in multi-site studies, telemedicine, and collaborative research networks.

Related Standards

• ISO 12052 Previous Editions: The standard is periodically updated; prior versions may be referenced for legacy compliance.
• IHE Integration Profiles: Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise profiles leverage and extend DICOM for regional and specialty-specific workflows.
• HL7 Standards: For broader healthcare data exchange, especially when integrating imaging data with electronic health records.
• ISO/IEC 27001: Information security management for healthcare systems, especially where DICOM data security and privacy are essential.
• ISO/IEC 17025: Relevant for laboratories managing digitized images as part of their quality systems.

SIST EN ISO 12052:2026 ensures the seamless exchange and management of digital medical images and related information across the healthcare ecosystem, promoting interoperability, workflow efficiency, and improved patient care worldwide. For healthcare providers, IT vendors, and system integrators, adopting this standard is key to building scalable, interoperable, and future-proof health informatics infrastructures.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-junij-2026
Nadomešča:
SIST EN ISO 12052:2018
Zdravstvena informatika - Digitalno slikanje in komunikacija v medicini (DICOM),
vključno z upravljanjem poteka dela in podatkov (ISO 12052:2026)
Health informatics - Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including
workflow and data management (ISO 12052:2026)
Medizinische Informatik - Digitale Bildverarbeitung und Kommunikation in der Medizin
(DICOM) inclusive Workflow und Datenmanagement (ISO 12052:2026)
Informatique de santé - Imagerie numérique et communication en médecine (DICOM)
incluant le déroulement des opérations et la gestion des données (ISO 12052:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 12052:2026
ICS:
35.240.80 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in health care
zdravstveni tehniki technology
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 12052
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
March 2026
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 35.240.80 Supersedes EN ISO 12052:2017
English Version
Health informatics - Digital imaging and communication in
medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data
management (ISO 12052:2026)
Informatique de santé - Imagerie numérique et Medizinische Informatik - Digitale Bildverarbeitung
communication en médecine (DICOM) incluant le und Kommunikation in der Medizin (DICOM) inclusive
déroulement des opérations et la gestion des données Workflow und Datenmanagement (ISO 12052:2026)
(ISO 12052:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 28 February 2026.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 12052:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 12052:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 215 "Health
informatics" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 251 “Health informatics” the
secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by September 2026, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by September 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 12052:2017.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 12052:2026 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 12052:2026 without any modification.

International
Standard
ISO 12052
Third edition
Health informatics — Digital
2026-02
imaging and communication
in medicine (DICOM) including
workflow and data management
Informatique de santé — Imagerie numérique et communication
en médecine (DICOM) incluant le déroulement des opérations et
la gestion des données
Reference number
ISO 12052:2026(en) © ISO 2026
ISO 12052:2026(en)
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO 12052:2026(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 3
5 Requirements: Conformance . 3
6 Overview of the content of the DICOM standard . 4
6.1 Document structure of the DICOM standard .4
6.2 PS3.2: Conformance .4
6.3 PS3.3: Information Object Definitions .6
6.4 PS3.4: Service Class Specifications .7
6.5 PS3.5: Data Structures and Encoding .7
6.6 PS3.6: Data Dictionary .7
6.7 PS3.7: Message Exchange .8
6.8 PS3.8: Network Communication Support for Message Exchange .8
6.9 PS 3.9: Retired (formerly Point-to-point Communication Support for Message Exchange) .8
6.10 PS3.10: Media Storage and File Format for Media Interchange .9
6.11 PS3.11: Media Storage Application Profiles .10
6.12 PS3.12: Media Formats and Physical Media for Media Interchange .11
6.13 PS3.13: Retired (formerly Print Management Point-to-point Communication Support) .11
6.14 PS3.14: Grayscale Standard Display Function .11
6.15 PS3.15: Security and System Management Profiles . 12
6.16 PS3.16: Content Mapping Resource . 12
6.17 PS3.17: Explanatory Information . 12
6.18 PS3.18: Web Services . 12
6.19 PS3.19: Application Hosting . 12
6.20 PS3.20: Imaging Reports using HL7 Clinical Document Architecture . 13
6.21 PS3.21: Transformations between DICOM and other Representations .14
6.22 PS3.22: Real-Time Communication .14
7 Referencing the DICOM standard . 14
Bibliography .16

iii
ISO 12052:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 215, Health informatics, in collaboration with
the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 251, Health informatics, in
accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 12052:2017), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— updates to Clause 3 to add several terms;
— updates to 6.10 to clarify the relationship of DICOM media interchange to data set specifications in
Figure 3;
— updates to 6.21 to describe and reference PS3.21 for transformation between DICOM and NCI AIM;
— updates to 6.22 to describe and reference PS3.22 for real-time communication of DICOM content;
— updates to Clause 7 to clarify references to units of conformance are not acceptable in lieu of a conformance
statement document for a product.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
ISO 12052:2026(en)
Introduction
0.1  General
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is the standard for the communication and
management of medical imaging information and related data.
The DICOM standard facilitates interoperability of medical imaging equipment by specifying:
— for network communications, a set of protocols to be followed by devices claiming conformance to the
DICOM standard;
— the syntax and semantics of Commands and associated information which can be exchanged using these
protocols;
— for media communication, a set of media storage services to be followed by devices claiming conformance
to the DICOM standard, as well as a File Format and a medical directory structure to facilitate access to
the images and related information stored on interchange media;
— information to be supplied with an implementation for which conformance to the DICOM standard is
claimed.
The DICOM standard does not specify:
— the implementation details of any features of the DICOM standard on a device claiming conformance;
— the overall set of features and functions to be expected from a system implemented by integrating a
group of devices each claiming conformance to the DICOM standard;
— a testing/validation procedure to assess an implementation’s conformance to the DICOM standard.
The DICOM standard facilitates interoperability of systems claiming conformance in a multi-vendor
environment, but does not, by itself, guarantee interoperability.
0.2  History
With the introduction of computed tomography (CT) followed by other digital diagnostic imaging modalities
in the 1970s, and the increasing use of computers in clinical applications, the American College of Radiology
(ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) recognized the emerging need for a
standard method for transferring images and associated information between devices manufactured by
various vendors. These devices produce a variety of digital image formats.
The ACR and the NEMA formed a joint committee in 1983 to develop a standard to:
— promote communication of digital image information, regardless of device manufacturer;
— facilitate the development and expansion of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) that
can also interface with other systems of hospital information;
— allow the creation of diagnostic information data bases that can be interrogated by a wide variety of
devices distributed geographically.
[4]
ACR-NEMA Standards Publication No. 300-1985 , published in 1985, was designated version 1.0. The
Standard was followed by two revisions: No. 1, dated October 1986 and No. 2, dated January 1988. These
Standards Publications specified a hardware interface, a minimum set of software commands, and a
consistent set of data formats.
ACR-NEMA Standards Publication No. 300-1988, published in 1988, was designated version 2.0. It included
version 1.0, the published revisions, and additional revisions. It also included new material to provide
command support for display devices, to introduce a new hierarchy scheme to identify an image, and to add
data elements for increased specificity when describing an image.

v
ISO 12052:2026(en)
In 1993, ACR-NEMA Standard 300 was substantially revised and replaced by the standard, designated
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM). It embodies a number of major enhancements to
previous versions of the ACR-NEMA Standard:
— It is applicable to a networked environment. The ACR-NEMA Standard was applicable in a point-to-
point environment only; for operation in a networked environment a Network Interface Unit (NIU)
was required. DICOM supports operation in a networked environment using the industry standard
networking protocol TCP/IP.
— It is applicable to off-line media exchange. The ACR-NEMA Standard did not specify a file format or choice
of physical media or logical filesystem. DICOM supports operation in an off-line media environment using
industry standard media such as CD-R, DVD-R and USB and common file systems.
— It is a service-oriented protocol, specifying the semantics of commands and associated data, and how
devices claiming conformance to the DICOM standard react to commands and data being exchanged.
Specified services include support for management of the workflow of an imaging department. The ACR-
NEMA Standard was confined to the transfer of data with only implicit service requirements.
— It specifies levels of conformance. The ACR-NEMA Standard specified a minimum level of conformance.
DICOM explicitly describes how an implementor structures a conformance statement to select specific
options.
In 1995, with the addition of DICOM capabilities for cardiology imaging supported by the American College
of Cardiology, the ACR-NEMA Joint Committee was reorganized as the DICOM Standards Committee, a broad
collaboration of stakeholders across all medical imaging specialties.
0.3  Principles
0.3.1  Global applicability and localization
DICOM is a world-wide standard that can be used in every locale. It provides mechanisms to handle data that
support cultural requirements, such as different writing systems, character sets, languages, and structures
for addresses and person names. It supports the variety of workflows, processes and policies used for
biomedical imaging in different geographic regions, medical specialties and local practices.
Localization to meet the requirements of national or local health and workflow policies can be done without
deviating from the DICOM standard. Such localization can include specifying code sets (e.g. procedure
codes), or profiling data element usage (both specifying locally allowed values, and making elements that
are optional in the DICOM standard mandatory for local use).
Localization and profiling can be specified in a number of mechanisms outside the purview of the DICOM
Standard. One such mechanism is Integration Profiles from the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE)
organization. It is important that profiling adhere to the concept of non-contradiction. A profile can add
requirements but not contradict DICOM requirements, as that would make it impossible to conform with
both DICOM and the profile.
0.3.2  Continuous maintenance
The DICOM Standard is an evolving standard and it is maintained in accordance with the Procedures of
the DICOM Standards Committee. Proposals for enhancements are welcome from all users of the DICOM
standard, and can be submitted to the Secretariat. Supplements and corrections to the DICOM standard are
balloted and approved several times a year. When approved as Final Text, each change becomes official, is
published separately, and goes into effect immediately. At intervals, all of the approved Final Text changes
are consolidated and published in an updated edition of the DICOM standard. Once changes are consolidated
into an updated edition of the DICOM standard, the individual change documents are not maintained;
readers are directed to use the consolidated edition of the DICOM standard.
A requirement in updating the DICOM standard is to maintain effective compatibility with previous editions.
The maintenance process can involve retirement of sections of the DICOM standard.

vi
ISO 12052:2026(en)
Retirement does not imply that these features cannot be used. However, the DICOM Standards Committee
will not maintain the documentation of retired features. The reader is referred to earlier editions of the
DICOM standard.
The use of the retired features is discouraged for new implementations, in favour of those alternatives
remaining in the DICOM standard.
0.3.3  Information objects and unique object identification
Many DICOM services involve the exchange of persistent information objects, such as images. An instance of
such an information object can be exchanged across many systems and many organizational contexts, and
over time. While minor changes can be made to the attributes of an instance to facilitate its handling within
a particular organization (e.g. by coercing a Patient ID to the value used in a local context), the semantic
content of an instance does not change.
Each instance is identified by a globally unique object identifier, which persists with the instance across all
exchanges. Changes to the semantic content of an instance are defined to create a new instance, which is
assigned a new globally unique object identifier.
0.3.4  Conformance
Conformance to the DICOM standard is stated in terms of Service-Object Pair (SOP) Classes, which represent
Services (such as Storage using network, media, or web) operating on types of Information Objects (such as
CT or MR images).
SOP Class specifications in the DICOM standard are only changed in a manner that is intended to be forward
and backward compatible for all editions of the DICOM standard. Systems that claim conformance to the
same SOP Class are thus compatible across all editions of the DICOM standard. Conformance requirements
and conformance claims are therefore referenced to the identifier of the SOP Class, and never referenced to
an edition of the DICOM standard.
Each implementation is required to provide a DICOM Conformance Statement, in accordance with a
consistent pro forma structure, facilitating comparison of products for interoperability.
0.3.5  Consistency of information model
A large number of information objects defined in the DICOM standard follows a common composite
information model with information entities representing Patient, Study, Series, Equipment, Frame of
Reference, and the specific instance data type. This information model is a simplification of the real-world
concepts and activities of medical imaging; for acquisition modalities, a Study is approximately equivalent
to an ordered procedure, and a Series is approximately equivalent to a performed data acquisition protocol
element. In other domains, such as Radiotherapy, the Study and Series are less clearly related to real
world entities or activities, but are still required for consistency. This simplified model is sufficient for the
pragmatic needs of managing imaging and related data collected in routine practice.
New information objects defined in DICOM will typically conform to this existing common information
model, allowing reuse of implementations with minimal changes to support the new objects.

vii
International Standard ISO 12052:2026(en)
Health informatics — Digital imaging and communication in
medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management
1 Scope
Within the field of health informatics, the DICOM (digital imaging and communication in medicine) standard
addresses the exchange of digital images, and information related to the production and management of
those images, between both medical imaging equipment and systems concerned with the management and
communication of that information, such as Picture Archiving anc Communication System (PACS), Hospital
Information System (HIS) and Radiology Information System (RIS).
This document is equivalent to part 1 of DICOM. As such, it normatively describes the content of DICOM
(Clause 6) and the requirements to make a claim of conformance (Clause 5).
The DICOM standard is applicable to diagnostic medical imaging as practiced in radiology, cardiology,
pathology, dentistry, ophthalmology and related disciplines, and image-based therapies such as
interventional radiology, radiotherapy and surgery. It is also applicable to a wide range of image and non-
image related information exchanged in clinical, research, veterinary, and other medical environments.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
attribute
property of an information object (3.10)
Note 1 to entry: An attribute has a name and a value which are independent of any encoding scheme.
3.2
command
request to operate on information across a network
3.3
command element
encoding of a parameter of a command (3.2) which conveys this parameter’s value
3.4
command stream
result of encoding a set of DICOM command elements (3.3) using the DICOM encoding scheme

ISO 12052:2026(en)
3.5
conformance statement
formal statement that describes a specific implementation of the DICOM standard
Note 1 to entry: It specifies the service classes, information objects (3.10), communication protocols, security profiles,
and media storage application profiles supported by the implementation.
3.6
data dictionary
registry of DICOM data elements which assigns a unique tag, a name, value characteristics, and semantics to
each data element (3.7)
3.7
data element
unit of information as defined by a single entry in the data dictionary (3.6)
3.8
data set
exchanged information consisting of a structured set of attributes (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: The value of each attribute (3.1) in a data set is expressed as a data element (3.7).
3.9
data stream
result of encoding a data set (3.8) using the DICOM encoding scheme (Data Element Numbers and
representations as specified by the data dictionary (3.6))
3.10
information object
abstraction of a real information entity (e.g. CT Image, Structured Report) which is acted upon by one or
more DICOM commands (3.2)
Note 1 to entry: This term is primarily used in DICOM PS3.1, with a few references in DICOM PS3.3. It is an informal
term corresponding to a formal term that is introduced in DICOM PS3.3. In all other parts (3.14) of the DICOM standard
this formal term is known as an Information Object Definition.
3.11
information object class
formal description of an information object (3.10) which includes a description of its purpose and the
attributes (3.1) it possesses
Note 1 to entry: It does not include values for these attributes.
Note 2 to entry: This term is only used in DICOM PS3.1. It is an informal term corresponding to a formal term that is
introduced in DICOM PS3.4. This formal term is known as a service-object pair class (3.16) or more commonly as a SOP
Class.
3.12
information object instance
representation of an occurrence of a real-world entity, which includes values for the attributes (3.1) of the
information object class (3.11) to which the entity belongs
Note 1 to entry: This term is only used in DICOM PS3.1. It is an informal term corresponding to a formal term that is
introduced in DICOM PS3.4. This formal term is known as a service-object pair instance or more commonly as a SOP
Instance.
3.13
message
data unit of the message exchange
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