Imaging informatics are driving modern digital pathology, but the wide complexity of healthcare systems can stall innovation. The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) aims to support laboratory professionals through education, research, and collaboration.
Here, Nabile Safdar, Chair of SIIM, and Cheryl Carey, CEO of SIIM, highlight the mission of the organization and how pathologists can benefit from enterprise imaging in their labs.
SIIM has a long history in imaging informatics – what clinical or technological needs led to its creation, and how has its mission evolved over time?
Since its establishment in 1980, SIIM has witnessed several major technological shifts, from the transition to filmless radiology departments and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), to enterprise imaging, and now artificial intelligence (AI). Although these advances have shaped much of the organization's work, SIIM's primary focus remains supporting imaging informaticists throughout their careers and helping them advance their respective missions.
What are the key aims of SIIM today, and how can the organization support those adopting digital and data-driven diagnostics?
Turning imaging data into meaningful clinical impact is central to SIIM's mission. The organization brings together clinicians, scientists, software developers, imaging IT professionals, and industry partners from across the imaging community. Its work is built around four strategic pillars – Education, Research, Strategic Technical Leadership, and Community – which underpin its programs and initiatives.
SIIM's educational offerings include the Annual Meeting, the Journal of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (JIIM), and DICOM training courses for pathologists and radiologists.These provide opportunities for professionals working across the digital imaging ecosystem to share knowledge, collaborate, and advance the field.
Enterprise imaging has expanded beyond radiology – how do you define it today, and what role should pathology play within this ecosystem?
Enterprise imaging now extends well beyond radiology, with pathology rapidly transitioning from glass slides to digital workflows. This shift presents new challenges for image storage, data management, and workflow integration, making successful implementation essential for efficient laboratory operations and patient care. As digital pathology also creates new opportunities for AI and precision medicine, pathologists have an increasingly important role to play in shaping enterprise imaging strategies.
What are the main challenges in integrating digital pathology into enterprise imaging platforms, particularly around interoperability and workflow?
Radiology and cardiology have established standards that support interoperability across vendors and healthcare systems. By comparison, pathology has relied more heavily on proprietary solutions, although standardized workflows are becoming more common. Achieving seamless interoperability – where diagnoses can be reviewed and shared across any platform, regardless of hardware or software – will take time.
While some institutions have already reached this level of integration, many are still working toward it. As pathology increasingly adopts shared applications and enterprise infrastructure, it has an opportunity to take a leadership role in advancing interoperability and, in some areas, move ahead of other specialties.
From a diagnostic perspective, how can enterprise imaging improve collaboration across specialties and support more integrated, multimodal patient care?
Patients benefit most when teams across specialties can share, review, and interpret data together – particularly medical images. Bringing radiology, pathology, dermatology, ophthalmology, and other imaging data into a unified view enables physicians and other healthcare professionals to identify patterns and generate insights that may be missed when information remains siloed. This integrated approach is becoming increasingly important as multimodal AI gains traction in clinical practice.
How is AI shaping enterprise imaging, and what lessons can pathology learn from radiology’s experience with digital transformation and AI adoption?
Enterprise imaging is increasingly driven by the development of AI tools that support clinical decision-making and improve patient care. In radiology, it took years to recognize the importance of standards such as DICOM and to build high-quality imaging datasets using tools like modality worklists. As pathology continues its digital transformation, it has an opportunity to adopt these standards from the outset, creating robust data repositories that support AI development while avoiding many of the challenges encountered in radiology.
Looking ahead, how do you see enterprise imaging evolving, and what role will SIIM play in guiding standards, governance, and best practice for the future of diagnostics?
Enterprise imaging has traditionally been led by radiology and cardiology, but its scope is expanding as healthcare systems increasingly manage pathology, visible light, video, and other imaging data alongside conventional medical images. SIIM aims to bring together stakeholders from across these disciplines to share knowledge, establish best practices, and build a collaborative community that supports the future of enterprise imaging.
Newsletters
Receive the latest pathologist news, personalities, education, and career development – weekly to your inbox.
