6 Alexa use cases every healthcare executive should know about in 2019

Alexa use cases

Ever since the launch of Alexa skill store by Amazon in 2015, developers have made more than 10,000 skills that allow the interaction of users with their Alexa-enabled devices.

With these use cases, Amazon Echo users are able to make use of natural language to interact with the system in various ways ranging from gaming and shopping to weather forecast, news gathering, travel, fitness and health information.

Quite simply, Amazon Echo is a smart speaker and device that allows users to interact with a voice-controlled personal assistant, otherwise known as Alexa.

These devices were popular for their great use in different residences, but Amazon has improved and integrated Alexa and voice technology into workplace. This has put Alexa in a significant role in healthcare institutions, for it has become a crucial tool for assisting patients and medical practitioners.

Alexa use cases are downloadable, which makes it possible for personal device owners to be accessible to valuable tools, services, and information, right in the comfort of their homes.

Undoubtly, Amazon is profoundly equipped with sufficient resources to tackle different industries simultaneously, and the healthcare industry has been one of Amazon’s major focuses.

As a result, Amazon perpetually increases the number of its team and research scientists that work on Alexa. Last year, with an objective to upend health care, Amazon has secretly built a ‘health & wellness team’ within the Alexa division.

Amazon’s investment in the healthcare industry is perceived to be shrewd, for the healthcare industry is promising and there is great need of health tech.  Below are six Alexa use cases every healthcare executive should know about in 2019.

1. Sugarpod – for the solution management of diabetes patients:

Sugarpod is a care plan for diabetic patients and it was developed by Wellpepper. The idea of Sugarpod is quite innovative, which made it win the “Alexa Diabetes Challenge” by Amazon. With this application, people suffering from type 2 diabetes can integrate new routines to make their day to day activities better and more fruitful. According to Digital Authority Partners, this Alexa skill is connected to a hardware device which is utilized to carry out frictionless scans to discover potentially dangerous symptoms.

The voice technology streamlines the process for patients by simplifying different activities that relate with type 2 diabetes management and deliver them more interactively.

2. Libertana Home Health Care application that helps elderly people take medications:

The Alexa-based online application developed by Libertana Home Health Care focuses on how nurses can be more helpful and attentive to elderly patients.

With the companion app, it is stress-free for nurses to confirm if a particular elderly patient has taken his medications or not. Nurses can also grant access to family members for them to perform the same duties to their loved ones. With this, Alexa has been able to streamline routine duties for caregivers and provide peace of mind to family.

3. Lenovo Health Applications:

In February 2018, Lenovo announced its partnership with Amazon to develop an Alexa-integrated system that focuses on virtual patient care. The system is a voice-based communication platform that makes it possible for users to interact with the team members of their healthcare in various exciting ways.

For instance, a patient can make use of their alexa-enabled device to inform that, “Alexa, can you tell my care coordinator to get a driver to come and pick me up.”

The capabilities of the system are further extended through its integration with other wearable devices that allow vitals, such as heart rate and blood pressure, to be monitored and recorded.

The data gathered from these devices can then be stored and shared to the team members of one’s healthcare. The data is also easily retrievable by the user whenever the user is in need of it and asks the device.

4. Web-MD Healthcare Q&A:

In March 2017, WebMD integrated with Alexa to answer questions related to health. The platform allows users to make use of Amazon’s Echo, Echo Dot and Fire TV to ask a long list of questions that relate with health.

Users of the platform who need answers to questions about medical conditions, treatments, medications, and many more can get answers within the drop of a hat. Users are accessible to the rich database of medical know-how by WebMD by just prompting their Alexa-integrated devices with their chosen commands.

A user can simply tell the system that, “Alexa, instruct WebMD to state the symptoms of cholera to me.”  The integration allows an expeditious and unwavering interaction between users and explicit medical information based on the user’s commands.

5. HeartGuide blood pressure calculator:

At a period when life can be seemingly stressful and busy, Omron has developed a sensational watch known as HeartGuide, which does the calculation of blood pressure and deliver the readings with an Alexa skill. This is one of the most innovative ideas of Alexa technology that deserves considerable awareness in 2019. The Heartguide watch, which is a cardiovascular health technology, is approved by FDA and has received numerous awards from several technology websites. Blood pressure is an intense health issue, making Heartguide a paramount technology in the entire healthcare industry.

6. HealthTap:

HealthTap, a medical practice that renders 24/7 patients’ access to medical practitioners through text, voice, and video, is one of the organizations that invested in Alexa. The medical practice developed a Doctor A.I service through Alexa, with its focus on providing patients with rational solutions to their inquiries that relates with health. The voice-controlled services can proffer recommendations based on a patient’s symptoms. In addition to this, the service can also directly connect patients to doctors for live consultations.

Interested in building your own Alexa skill? Check out this list of consulting companies that can help you explore the future of voice technology.

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