Amazon Alexa in HealthCare
Voice based technologies have the potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery. The DREAM-CV Lab at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), in collaboration with researchers from the Montreal Heart Institute and Duke Clinical Research Institute, are exploring how such technologies can be utilized in real-world health care environments.
In a study conducted at the MUHC, Dr. Abhinav Sharma and colleagues enrolled 200 participants to undergo screening for COVID-19 risk factors and symptoms by both, the Amazon Alexa device and a research volunteer. The goal of the study was to compare Alexa’s screening abilities to that of a healthcare provider. The Alexa was able to respond in both French and English.
Statistical analysis of the study results reveals that Amazon Alexa’s ability to screen for COVID-19 symptoms and risk factors is near identical to that of a healthcare provider. Furthermore, the results appeared to be similar regardless of language. This result demonstrates the device’s ability to collect medical grade data, which can be used to augment efficiency in delivery of healthcare. Future research looking at the practical implications of using this device is required.
The full details of this study are available in our publication in the European Heart Journal available here.
To stay up-to-date with new research evaluating the use of Amazon Alexa in healthcare, follow us on Twitter at DreamCV Lab.
Researchers: Dr. Abhinav Sharma, Emily Oulousian, Jiayi Ni, Renato Lopes, Matthew Cheng, Julie Label, Filipe Henriques, Claudia Lighter, Dr. Nadia Giannetti, Dr. Robert Avram.
Medium article writer: Elie Ganni
