Hint: Different WADO modes for image access in iQ-WEB

One of the big terms the DICOM standard gave to the world is WADO – short for Web Access to DICOM Persistent Objects. This technical protocol provides the basis for imaging studies, medical results and reports stored in the PACS to be easily accessed from other medical information systems like HIS, RIS or EMR.

MAGE’s iQ-WEB includes such a WADO interface. Optionally available, it not only allows authorized users easy access to image and report data stored in its database directly from their patient information system; WADO links can also be created manually in iQ-WEB, in order to pass them, e.g. by e-mail or printed, to referring physicians or for second opinion.

The PACS administrator, usually responsible for the configuration of iQ-WEB, has several WADO modes for image display to choose from. All available modes are usable with or without HL7.

iQ-4VIEW – Accessing study data in our zero-footprint viewer

The currently most frequently used mode to open any kind of study is via iQ-4VIEW. In this case, the generated WADO link refers to the zero-footprint viewer to open the respective data. This option is not only a good way to access image data within the own institution; it also allows external physicians, such as second opinion physicians or referring physicians, to access images without needing their own DICOM viewer.

iQ-X

Before iQ-4VIEW came into existence, the most frequently used WADO mode was to open all links in the Internet Explorer using iQ-X. As iQ-WEBX includes an unlimited number of web users, this is a very cost-effective way for large networks.

Browser by default

This mode is a combination of the previous two: If the Internet Explorer is chosen as the default browser, links will be opened using iQ-X. If the default browser is another one, the data will be displayed in iQ-4VIEW – this usually includes the Microsoft Edge browser (unless Edge’s IE mode is used. In that case, the data to be viewed is loaded into iQ-X.)

Simple Web – The non-diagnostic image access

This is an economical way to distribute images in JPEG quality to patients to pass on to their referring physicians. These images are for clinical reference only, but this option can be used to eliminate time and costs for burning data on CD/DVD.

Default user settings – Users have it in their own hands

With this option, the PACS administrator authorizes the individual iQ-WEB users to override any system-wide configuration and decide themselves, which access type they want to use. The users make this decision in their own user profile. This mode is only used for specific configurations.

No viewer – The case-based viewer selection

Using this option, the WADO request will only read out the transmitted patient and study information and show all matching results in the iQ-WEB study list. This mode can be used in those cases where the user wants to decide on a case-by-case basis in which viewer to open the data. It allows opening the studies in iQ-VIEW or iQ-FUSION or forwarding a study selection by DICOM transmission to another workstation.