Jul. 3, 2009 (United Press International) -- Doctors at a Massachusetts Hospital are using New England's only medical robot to help diagnosis and treat patients at a hospital miles away from their offices.

Timothy Liesching, Lacey Clinic director of tele-medicine, said the robot allows him to interact and diagnosis a patient at Beverly Hospital from his office in Burlington, Mass., The Boston Globe (NYSE:NYT) said Friday.

The doctor said the robot became a necessary long-distance tool in the medical trade because of a shortage of trained staff in certain medical specializations.

"We recognize that the ideal situation is that every patient has the clinician at their bedside, but because of this shortage that there are in a number of subspecialties and in certain geographical areas, that is impossible," Liesching said.

The robot features a computer screen showing the attending doctor's face and allows the long-distance physician to gather vital medical data from patients.

But Dr. Ronald Dixon, a Massachusetts General Hospital internist, has warned against its regular use with seriously ill patients.

"If you're talking about patients who have some risks, the laying of hands and the actual view of the patient in real life is still important," he told the Globe.