Voice assistant enlisted to aid elderly and blind patients who cannot easily search for advice

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The NHS has teamed up with Amazon to allow elderly people, blind people and other patients who cannot easily search for health advice on the internet to access the information through the AI-powered voice assistant Alexa.

The health service hopes patients asking Alexa for health advice will ease pressure on the NHS, with Amazon’s algorithm using information from the NHS website to provide answers to questions such as: “Alexa, how do I treat a migraine?”; ‘Alexa, what are the symptoms of flu?’; and “Alexa what are the symptoms of chickenpox?”

The Department of Health (DoH) said it would empower patients and hopefully reduce the pressure on the NHS by providing reliable information on common illnesses.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said: “Technology like this is a great example of how people can access reliable, world-leading NHS advice from the comfort of their home, reducing the pressure on our hardworking GPs and pharmacists.”

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The collaboration with Amazon, announced on Wednesday, was trumpeted as a world first.

The DoH said the NHS would not be giving patients Amazon Echo devices – the voice-activated speakers that connect to the Alexa service, which cost from £24.99 – but said access could be obtained through a free app.

Adi Latif, a consultant at the charity AbiltyNet, which helps people with disabilities use innovations to make their lives easier, is registered blind and already uses Alexa for everyday tasks.

The 38-year-old, from Camden, north London, said: “Convenience is king and it’s brilliant to know I can ask Alexa about various illnesses and receive credible, NHS-verified information.

“It cuts out all the searching online, which can be a traumatic experience for many people, especially those who are disabled or not familiar with technology. Smart speakers such as Alexa are no doubt hi-tech, but they are designed in a way which allows you to have a conversation with them, making them less daunting to use.”

Voice search has been increasing rapidly and by 2020 half of all searches are expected to be made via voice-assisted technology.

Under the NHS long-term plan, which aims to improve the quality of patient care and health outcomes in an effort to relieve pressure on the health service, it has committed to making more services available digitally.

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Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, which is charged with overseeing the digital drive, said: “By working closely with Amazon and other tech companies, big and small, we can ensure that the millions of users looking for health information every day can get simple, validated advice at the touch of a button or voice command.

“Part of our mission at NHSX is to give citizens the tools to access services and information directly, and partnerships such as this are an important part of achieving this.”

Privacy concerns were raised about Alexa this year after Bloomberg News reported that Amazon employees around the world regularly listened to recordings from the company’s smart speakers as part of the development process for new services.