Amazon said that its Alexa Skills Kit has been declared compliant with the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a move that propels the company into the health sector. Before, health information could only be share between patients and hospitals, doctors, or other companies within the health care system; now, data can be transmitted via Alexa-enabled devices.
Under an invite-only programme, Amazon has asked six health care companies and providers to develop voice programmes or “skills” such as “Alexa, pull up my blood glucose readings” or “Alexa, find me a doctor,” CNBC wrote. The company aims to add more companies to the programme.
The healthcare skills that were launched include:
- Express Scripts, where members can check the status of a home delivery prescription and can request Alexa notifications when their prescription orders are shipped;
- Cigna Health Today, whereby employees with Cigna accounts can manage their health improvement goals and increase opportunities for earning personalised wellness incentives;
- My Children's Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) (Boston Children's Hospital), where parents and caregivers of children in the ERAS program at Boston Children's Hospital can provide their care teams with updates on recovery progress and receive information regarding their post-op appointments;
- Swedish Health Connect (Providence St Joseph Health, a healthcare system with 51 hospitals across 7 states and 829 clinics), where customers can find an urgent care centre near them and schedule a same-day appointment;
- Atrium Health( a healthcare system with more than 40 hospitals and 900 care locations throughout North and South Carolina and Georgia), enabling customers in North and South Carolina to find an urgent care location near them and schedule a same-day appointment and;
- Livongo (a consumer digital health company that creates new and different experiences for people with chronic conditions), allowing members to query their last blood sugar reading, blood sugar measurement trends, and receive insights and Health Nudges that are personalized to them.
