USA – In a press release, telemedicine company Teladoc Health has announced a “first-of-its-kind experience” that allows users to access generalized healthcare services 24/7 via an Alexa-powered device.
The feature, which was created in collaboration with Amazon, allows users to have audio chats with a medical professional.
Echo devices that are supported include the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show. According to Teladoc, video visits will be available “soon.”
Teladoc Health’s collaboration with Amazon is yet another step in breaking down barriers to healthcare access.”
How Alexa works
Customers can ask Alexa to speak with a doctor using the new voice functionality, and they will be connected to a Teladoc call center for a screening call.
A Teladoc representative will verify the customer’s most recent medical history as well as insurance information.
The representative will inform the caller whether their insurance covers the appointment and, if so, the amount of any copay.
A Teladoc doctor will then call users back on their Echo devices. According to the companies, the service is intended for non-emergency needs such as talking through cold symptoms.
Teladoc and Amazon make intriguing bedfellows for the collaboration, given that the two companies are direct competitors in virtual-first primary care delivery.
Amazon announced in February that it was expanding its virtual care program Amazon Care to employers nationwide in response to rising demand, causing stock in publicly traded telehealth vendors such as Teladoc and Amwell to fall.
The three-year-old program, which includes in-person care delivery in some US cities, competes directly with Teladoc for employer clients looking to provide virtual care to their employee population, though Teladoc also generates a significant portion of its revenue through deals with health insurers.
Amazon Care offers a variety of medical care services, such as COVID-19 and flu testing, vaccinations, illness and injury treatment, preventive care, sexual health, and prescription requests and refills.
While Amazon Care offers both virtual and in-person services, Teladoc’s service is entirely remote, which has grown in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alexa’s significance
Although it is understandably limited to minor illnesses, the virtual health feature makes medical advice more accessible to many disabled people.
The ability to ask Alexa to get medical care can be a lifesaver in more ways than one for those with limited mobility and/or who are immunocompromised (and thus more susceptible to Covid).
Furthermore, Amazon’s collaboration with Teladoc for this initiative is yet another demonstration that virtual assistants have far more practical, genuinely useful skills than mere trivia or asking for the weather.
In this case, Alexa can bring medical care to you if you are unable to leave the house.
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