A 79-year-old man was told he was close to death by a doctor appearing over video displayed by a robot.
The robot appeared in a hospital room in Fremont, California, with Ernest Quintana and his granddaughter Annalisia Wilharm told a doctor was doing his rounds.
They were surprised to see the doctor come up on a computer screen, but Ms Wilharm said he was shocked when severity of the news became clear.
Over video, the pair were told her grandfather's lungs were failing and he did not have long to live.
"You might not make it home," the doctor said on the screen, according to KTVU.
Ms Wilharm told the TV channel: "We knew that this was coming and that he was very sick. But I don't think somebody should get the news delivered that way. It should have been a human being come in,"
Michelle Gaskill-Hames, senior vice president for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in southern Alameda County, said in a statement that this was a "highly unusual circumstance".
She added: "On behalf of Kaiser Permanente and our caregivers in Fremont, we offer our sincere condolences. It is always deeply painful to lose a beloved family member and friend.
"We regret falling short in meeting the patient's and family's expectations in this situation and we will use this as an opportunity to review our practices and standards with the care team."
