This is an introduction to the Digital Imaging Communication in Medicine standard which allows the exchange of images and related information between medical devices which acquire, display, archive and manage this information. This introduction provides a high level overview of the several aspects of the standard, its protocol, format and conformance. It allows healthcare professionals to get an idea of the many components so that they can provide proper planning for implementation, support and planning. It is intended for a wide variety of professionals such as physicians, technologists, interface analysts and support engineers.