Amazon’s next move is to give Alexa even more knowledge, granting the device the power to pull up your medical records and to provide you with some certified medical advice. From the internet. Unbelievable.
This feature comes after a lot of work and development from Amazon, allowing patients to access their medical records, get progress updates after surgeries, find locations of emergency centers, schedule medical appointments and more.
In order to reach this milestone, Amazon has partnered up with different health providers and insurance companies to make sure that the device is only handing out truthful information and that the sensitive medical files accessed are not breaking any laws. “These new [Alexa] skills are designed to help customers manage a variety of healthcare needs at home simply using voice,” explains an Amazon spokesperson on the site’s blog.
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CNBC reports that voice enabled commands have been embraced by the medical field, with a lot of potential for seniors, children and people with disabilities, helping them communicate with family members, manage medications and obtain information. Amazon has hired specialists and lawyers in order to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects patients when their personal information is shared with health care organizations.
For all of Amazon’s problems and controversies, the company is becoming part of a trend in bringing health care home, an option that could provide a convenient and cheap solution for millions of people.