Abstract: A picture archiving and communication system comprises an image data output section, a terminal station, and a plurality of data bases. The image data output section produces diagnostic image data in accordance with examination requests made at a plurality of diagnosis departments, and outputs the diagnostic image data together with appendant data (which includes destination data indicating where the image data should be sent). From the terminal station are entered specific data used for specifying the image data produced by the image data output section, and destination data representing where the image data should be sent. The data bases are located at various diagnosis departments. On the basis of the data entered from the terminal station, a register list is prepared at each of the data bases, and the appendant data supplied from the image data output section is collated with the data recorded in the register list.