Networks for electronic radiology

Next-generation health care systems must successfully integrate hospital information, laboratory automation, and medical-image management to provide a seamless view of the complete medical record to the primary care physician across a distributed medical enterprise. Broadband networks are an important component of the systems required to achieve this goal. This article provides a brief tutorial on relevant network principles and products, a perspective on the evolution of the field, and a simple view of the network requirements posed by electronic radiology.