Long-term Medical Holographic program
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
The Long-term Medical Holographic program (or LMH, for short) was an attempt by Dr. Lewis Zimmerman to extend the usability of his previous work, the Emergency Medical Holographic program, for use as a fully-fledged medical officer on isolated bases and outposts where resources may be limited. Zimmerman began this project after receiving a request from Starfleet to enhance the lifespan of the EMH in mid-2373.
As before, Zimmerman planned to use a Human subject as the basis for the LMH. Starfleet Medical then selected Dr. Julian Bashir of Deep Space 9 as the prototype's model-template.
In designing the LMH, Zimmerman concluded that it would be necessary for the holo-doctor to interact naturally with patients for weeks at a time. In doing so, he felt it necessary for the holo-doctor to be "expected to share amusing anecdotes, extend sympathy, swap dirty jokes, and even have culinary opinions formed by experience."
To further enhance the LMH program, Zimmerman intended to conduct in-depth interviews with Bashir's family, friends, and colleagues in order to build a more rounded psychological profile.
Bashir was later deemed unsuitable as a template due to evidence that he had undergone illegal genetic enhancements. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")
- It is not clear if Zimmerman continued work on the LMH afterwards or not, though with the advances made by the Doctor's programming, it is likely that future EMH's were given a much longer life span.
