PACS through web compatible with DICOM standard and WADO service: advantages and implementation.

All users of informatics applications need rapid and reliable access to the kind of information that they are interested in. Web technology provides these capabilities. DICOM standard committees recognized the necessity of a Web medical standard. They specified WADO (Web access to DICOM object) service, so that system interaction takes place through Web, in a standarized way, allowing interoperability and proper information management inside PACS. The advantages of a Web PACS comparatively with a compatible PACS are multiple and they are detected in different fields of functionality. The authors have run a project of a WADO compatible Web PACS development. A Web portal platform with enhanced security has been implemented. Over it, DICOM applications have been developed. JavaServer Pages (JSP) technology is mainly used to satisfy design specifications and dynamic data exchanges. Furthermore, Java applets have been developed and introduced in the whole project to serve specific demands. Evaluation results confirmed our considerations about the improvement of DICOM services, when they are provided through web.