A conference of experts in disaster medicine recently reviewed the possibilities offered by Telemedicine. This application of technology allows the real time exchange of information between a medical practitioner in the field and a specialized hospital. Using voice, video and data links, information about the status of the patient can be transmitted to specialists, who in turn use the same means to provide detailed diagnosis, and advice for treatment.

After two days of presentations and discussions, the experts fully recognized the enormous value telemedicine has in all cases where the diagnosis of a complex medical problem requires equipment and expertise not available in the field, and where only the experience and knowledge of a specialist can safe a life.

However: The conference also concluded, that the medical practitioner who needs telemedicine at the site of a mass casualty event is the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Consulting with specialists may save the life of one patient, but in the time spent on the consultations, the practitioner could probably safe the lives of many others by using nothing more then his or her own know-how and with whatever means are available on-site.