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[snoop1130]

Need quick medical advice in Britain? Ask Alexa

by Noor Zainab Hussain

 

FILE PHOTO: Prompts on how to use Amazon's Alexa personal assistant are seen in an Amazon ‘experience center’ in Vallejo, California, U.S., May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Britain’s state-run health service is teaming up with Amazon to provide medical advice for common ailments such as migraines and flu via the tech giant’s voice assistant Alexa, aiming to help more patients at home and cut down on costs.

 

The plan is to give patients - especially the elderly, blind and those unable to access the internet through traditional means - access to information verified by the National Health Service (NHS) by using voice commands, the government said.

 

The deal could ease pressure on the NHS by reducing the need to visit a doctor.

 

It also marks the latest move by Amazon into healthcare following its purchase of online pharmacy PillPack last year and a tie-up with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co in the United States aimed at cutting health costs for hundreds of thousands of their employees.

 

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said millions of people were already asking Alexa and other voice assistants about health matters, and he wanted to make sure they received the very best advice in response.

 

He said the service would be backed by strong privacy rules to protect patient confidentiality.

 

“There is a clear protocol in place that Amazon has and that we have in the NHS,” he told BBC radio.

 

The NHS is a cherished institution for many Britons, providing services from routine consultations to life-saving operations. But it is under growing financial pressure in the face of increasing patient demands and budget constraints.

 

A general practitioner (GP), often referred to as “family doctor”, is usually the first port of call for a person feeling unwell in Britain.

 

Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said voice-assisted technology could free up more doctors’ appointments for patients who need them most.

 

“It has the potential to help some patients work out what kind of care they need before considering whether to seek face-to-face medical help, especially for minor ailments that rarely need a GP appointment,” she said.

 

“But we must be careful not to create a ‘digital divide’ between those patients who can afford it and are able to use it, and those who can’t.”

 

Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices such as Echo and Echo Dot range in price from about 50 pounds ($62) to more than 200 pounds.

 

The U.S. company’s algorithm uses information from the NHS website to provide answers to voice questions such as “Alexa, how do I treat a migraine?” or “Alexa, what are the symptoms of chickenpox”.

 

Technology, led by artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, is being increasingly deployed in healthcare.

 

London-based Babylon Health says its AI technology, in tests, has outperformed most physicians in assessing disease symptoms.

 

Chatbot Florence, named after Florence Nightingale - the founder of modern nursing - allows patients to monitor health and wellness indicators via Kik, Skype and Facebook Messenger.

 

In India, Practo, founded in 2008, acts as a one-stop shop for patients booking appointments with doctors for online and face-to-face consultations.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-10

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[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

 

The deal could ease pressure on the NHS by reducing the need to visit a doctor.

I have an idea on how to ease pressure on the NHS - how about making Amazon pay their fair share of taxes, then we could put more money into the NHS rather than this privatisation by stealth?

[helloagain]

11 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

I have an idea on how to ease pressure on the NHS - how about making Amazon pay their fair share of taxes, then we could put more money into the NHS rather than this privatisation by stealth?

And the big chain coffee shops

[Krataiboy]

The UK government must be salivating at the prospect of fobbing off elderly patients with a hi-tech gizmo rather than giving them the proper care they deserve.

 

What a reward for a lifetime of paying taxes and National Insurance contributions and rebuilding a nation brought to its knees by the most devastating war in history!

 

This is clearly another sneaky step towards NHS privatisation by the back door, aimed at cutting costs and reducing the "burden" of people living longer than those running our so-called "advanced" society reckon they should.

 

It doesn't have to be this way. Make giant transnational corporations like Amazon pay their fair share of tax and we'd be able to fund the GP visits the housebound elderly and infirm need.

 

These were routine during the lean post-war years when I grew up. But so, too, were caring communities bonded by a shared identity, common culture and traditional values.

 

So much for "progress".

Edited July 11, 2019 by Krataiboy

[Thongkorn]

3 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

The UK government must be salivating at the prospect of fobbing off elderly patients with a hi-tech gizmo rather than giving them the proper care they deserve.

 

What a reward for a lifetime of paying taxes and National Insurance contributions and rebuilding a nation brought to its knees by the most devastating war in history!

 

This is clearly another sneaky step towards NHS privatisation by the back door, aimed at cutting costs and reducing the "burden" of people living longer than those running our so-called "advanced" society reckon they should.

 

It doesn't have to be this way. Make giant transnational corporations like Amazon pay their fair share of tax and we'd be able to fund the GP visits the housebound elderly and infirm need.

 

These were routine during the lean post-war years when I grew up. But so, too, were caring communities bonded by a shared identity, common culture and traditional values.

 

So much for "progress".

Agree with everything you say, The NHS can  treat, Smokers, Drinker, Fat people Druggies Car accidents, Immigrants, but not older Citysens who need medical attention ,

[Baerboxer]

22 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

I have an idea on how to ease pressure on the NHS - how about making Amazon pay their fair share of taxes, then we could put more money into the NHS rather than this privatisation by stealth?

 

Not just Amazon but all those other "global" companies who have their HQ in Luxembourg or Ireland or wherever just to pay less and usually no tax.

 

Time to end their shannigans 

[expatfromwyoming]

what could possibly go wrong?????? But its cheap!!!

Edited July 11, 2019 by expatfromwyoming

[AlexO]

4 hours ago, Thongkorn said:

Agree with everything you say, The NHS can  treat, Smokers, Drinker, Fat people Druggies Car accidents, Immigrants, but not older Citysens who need medical attention ,

A wee bit off being accurate there Thongkorn. My father (85) died 9 years ago from terminal Cancer of the Asophoagus (not sure about the spelling) he refused any kind if experimental treatments and told everyone he was going to die at home. He was given exceptional home care treatment in his final days with nursing staff,  hospital bed and oxygen making machine all supplied to the house by the NHS. Our only concern after he passed was the amount of meds/drugs that were thrown away because they had been already issued., must have been thousands of quid's worth. Mums (91) the same now with terminal lung cancer and she is receiving real good care. Have always found the NHS absolutely great for emergency/palative care but not so great for the wear and tear treatments as you get older.