Shahal's quick response time and quicker patient reporting of symptoms suggests a better survival rate for patients. One important reason is that third party payers do not cover telemedicine services. Dr. Grigsby talks about the coverage dilemma facing telemedicine and the various reasons how this dilemma has evolved. This was the first experiment in telepathology. In August of1986 robotic video microscopy was first publically demonstrated as Dr. Ronald S. Weinstein operated a motorized stage and focusing mechanism examining frozen-section breast biopsy images in El Paso, TX from Washington D.C. via Comstat satellite link.
Some systems have robotics which can control stage and focus from afar.
Costs and cost-saving strategies regarding telepathology equipment are discussed. Dr. Blick discusses technology in detail, costs, and hurdles to overcome in the implementation of telepathological systems.