The benefits of telemedicine are many. Instant access to information, whether it be about a certain patient or a certain
     topic, can be essential or even life saving. The Telemedicine Research Exchange notes the story of a rural doctor who
     had never before done an amputation being helped through the procedure by an well-practiced physician over a video
     link. The two saved the life of the amputee, who did not have enough time to reach the larger facility.

     A multifold increase in efficiency for all types of medicine would be another large benefit. Travel times for patients and
     doctors could be significantly reduced as well as research time, and "paper handling" of medical records (which can be
     unbearably slow). It has already been seen that telemedicine enacted on foreign military bases has sped up the whole
     process of treatment for soldiers abroad. Consultation from major medical centers to the military bases make diagnosis
     quicker and more accurate.

     Accuracy of diagnosis is always a huge concern for the medical community. Getting it right and on the first try is
     obviously the preferred way of doing things. With teleassistance, it is hoped that it will be easier for a doctor to get a
     "second opinion" on their diagnosis of a patient. With greater access to help, more patients will be treated correctly, the
     first time. This leads to even more benefits, such as quicker average recovery time, less use of uneeded medicines,
     and reduced costs to patients and hospitals.

     Self-help may increase with the online availability of so much medical information. Informed patients can result in less
     uneeded visits to the doctor, or patients better able to express symptoms to the doctor when they go. One problem in
     the medical field is people who do not know they have an illness or do not know whether to go to the doctor or how to
     treat it. A simple search of their symptoms with an online telemedicine office, or a query to an online doctor can save
     embarassment yet allow that person to get the information they need.

     Telemedicine promises the day of individualized care guidelines for the ill and easier long-term monitoring of
     chronically ill patients.

     Better reaching underserved areas, such as rural communities, is one of the most important promised benefits of the
     telemedical age. Programs have already been passed by Congress for the implementation of this aspect of telemedicine.

     Improvements in everyday medical research have already been seen. Searching a topic for clinical or educational
     purposes is amazingly simple and only requires a fraction of the time the same research used to take.