Correspondance: Wearing a Fur Coat in the Summertime: Should Digital Pathology Redefine Medical Imaging?

In response to recent critiques, members of DICOM Working Group 26 assert that DICOM is the robust and essential standard for digital pathology, actively facilitating interoperability and communication of medical images far beyond simple pixel data. They highlight successful global deployments and collaborations (like the recent Connectathon) demonstrating DICOM's proven ability to integrate WSI scanners, archives, viewers, and AI tools. Despite concerns, DICOM offers flexible metadata encoding, robust security features, and strong industry and regulatory support, making it indispensable for patient care. The authors advocate for continued investment in and adoption of DICOM to advance efficiency, accuracy, and patient safety in integrated healthcare systems.