Imagine visiting your doctor and at the same time consulting with a specialist in another city. Or, what if medical students in Los Angeles could observe live heart surgery in New York and monitor the patient's vital signs while receiving commentary by a cardiologist from the Cleveland Clinic? Welcome to the world of Telemedicine--a term used to describe a remote doctor-patient or doctor-doctor encounter using two-way video and audio, in addition to the transmission of medical data. Telemedicine offers new horizons in health care.

Whether remotely viewing patients through specialized medical instruments such as a video otoscope, which allows the doctor to 'see' inside a patient's ear, or an electronic stethoscope, which facilitates listening to the patient's heartbeat, or transmitting medical images for "real-time" review, medical video conferencing and data transmission are becoming invaluable tools in the provision of health care.

According to Veridigm Inc. (OTCBB:ENSY), a young telemedicine company, technology may never replace the human factor, but telemedicine, a multi-billion dollar industry, has the potential to extend the human touch and transform the way health care is delivered. The widespread adoption of this technology enables doctors and patients in separate locations to interact in real-time while transmitting complex diagnostic data for simultaneous review. The digitization of medical records, together with the advent of new medical technologies, should only serve to increase the demand for telemedicine services.

As telemedicine technologies continue to experience rapid growth--with companies like AT&T, Intel, and Sony Electronics providing the bandwidth and hardware--the doors to the widespread adoption of telemedicine are opening for innovative companies with proprietary technologies like Veridigm.

For the safe transmission of both medical data and video conferencing between doctor and patient, Veridigm maintains and operates its own secure private network--one that never touches the publicly shared internet--to safely transmit two-way, real-time "television" quality video, audio, and data with no perceptible delay. Veridigm's technology removes the physical boundaries between clinician and patient, making telemedicine consultations a true interactive experience by delivering real-time video conferencing in full frame, full motion, and in full color. The Veridigm proprietary technology allows for the safe transmission of ultra large data files, such as detailed x-rays and radiological images that will allow specialists to read and interpret 'online'.

Savvy investors looking for hot stocks and early shareholder entry points may start to consider telemedicine companies for their next investment opportunity. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects that annual health care expenditures will reach $4.0 trillion by 2015. As such, telemedicine services should play a large role in this growth, as it provides our health care industry with efficient and cost-reducing solutions, while opening the door for companies like Veridigm and others to embrace the opportunity.