ABSTRACT
Informatics can be and has been defined in numerous ways, but a very useful definition is that it “is the discipline focused on the acquisition, storage, and use of information in a specific setting or domain” (Hersh, 2009, p. 10). Medical imaging informatics is a branch of informatics that deals in particular with the specific domain of medicine and the information contained in the wide variety of images encountered in the assessment and treatment of patients. Medical imaging informatics therefore intersects with every link in the imaging chain from image acquisition, to distribution and management, storage and retrieval, image processing and analysis, visualization and data navigation, and finally through to image interpretation, reporting, and dissemination of the report. This chapter deals with the use of image information by clinicians as they visualize and interpret medical images. Although the majority of imaging informatics work has been done in radiology, other image-based specialties such as pathology, ophthalmology, dermatology, and a wide range of telemedicine applications are beginning to consider the role of imaging informatics.
