Radiologic consultation to a remote Canadian hospital using Hermes spacecraft.

Access to medical services in north Canada is limited by geography, climate, communication and transportation. A geostationary spacecraft, Hermes, was used to provide dependable, high-quality communication between a remote nursing station, a base hospital and a health science centre. Teleradiology formed an important component of the telemedicine services. Remote supervision of radiography and fluoroscopy was made possible; consultation services were shown to be 90% effective.