Amazon alexa commonly known as alexa is a virtual assistant developed by amazon which was first used in he amazon echo and then the echo dot. It’s habile in voice interaction, playing musics that you desire, remembering you your daily chores, waking you up and streaming podcats, playing audio books, reporting you all news etc..It can also control several smart devices using an home automation system. As its next step, it has lended its hand in helping people with in medical field. Alexa can serve as your medical assistant now!
Alexa has pioneered an invite only program brooking select devlopers to create healthcare skills for alexa. Amazon promulgated a key move into healthcare (medical assistant training), this week.
Alexa skills kit now enables select covered entities and their Business Associates,subject to the U.S Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996(HIPPA),to build Alex skills that transmit and receive protected health information as apart of an invite-only-program. Six new Alexa healthcare skills from industry-leading healthcare providers,payors,pharmacy benefit managers,digital health coaching comoanies are now operating in our HIPPA-eligible environment,avers Amazon.
The new skills are manifold. Providence st.Joseph Health’s skill books appoinments,Cigna tracks wellness incentive,Express script manages prescriptions and Livongo provides blood glucose readings. And there is more coming from Atrium health,Boston hospital’s post surgery program and swedish health connect. Healthcare is an industry that amazon has eyed for quite some time now.
Just last year,CNBC reported that amazon was working on a healthcare team with alexa which included reconnoitring HIPPA regulations.Amazon nabbed online pharmacy Pillpack the same year.
LIVONGO – the applied health company’s goal is to leverage innovative technologies to create a world-class member experience. We believe that voice technology will have an impactful role in helping our members better manage their chronic conditions,and health in general. Speaking and listening are natural communication channels, and voice based capabilities also allow us to reach people who prefer other modes of communication'” said the development livingo president, Dr.Jennifer Schneider.
She has also added that their members now have the ability to hear their latest bloood glucose check by simply asking alexa. In providing seamless health insights while their members are preparing meals or about to exercise, livongo can more effectively drive positive behavior change.
WHAT IS THE BIG CATECHIZE?
The question is how comfortable will people be with having alexa know all their medical details. Asking alexa to open or close lights is very difficult than entructing the device with our most personal information.And not forgetting that fear of alexa being hacked. Amazon claims it appllies several layers of security to all skill data.HIPPA also comes with its own set of security requirements.
Only the usage and time has to tell the venture of Alexa’s medical mission and in meantime amazon has launched it’s website for its new skills.
