Consulting experts via video conferencing.

A physician in Africa suspects his seriously ill patient may be stricken with a rare disease after an expedition to the rain forest. The symptoms look like Ebola, but tissue cells don't confirm that diagnosis. The doctor connects a wire to his microscope, dials a telephone number from his lab, and in just a few minutes is showing a tissue sample to a team of experts in the U.S.

The cell is not infected with Ebola, the experts judge, but a very treatable strain of cholera. Since it was caught early on, they rate the stricken patient's chances of survival good and prescribe a regimen of treatment.

This hypothetical case illustrates the life-saving capabilities of video teleconferencing. Literally a real-time "conference call" in which participants can see one another instead of just hearing each other, such systems could change the way physicians diagnose patients, how patients relate to doctors and nurses, and how medical students and interns perfect their skills.

"Videoconferencing has the potential to greatly enhance patient care in hospitals, and, ultimately, save lives," maintains Alex Iskander, national product manager for Panasonic Video Teleconferencing Systems, Secaucus, N.J. "And this isn't a distant concept. The capability is here today."

Among medical usages, remote diagnosis of pathological findings, such as tissue cells, is one example. Another is examination of X-rays. An orthopedist in Los Angeles who wishes to consult with a more experienced colleague in Chicago can do just that, with the patient's...