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 The plan is to give patients - especially the elderly, blind and
those unable to access the internet through traditional means -
access to information verified by the National Health Service (NHS)
by using voice commands, the government said.
The deal could ease pressure on the NHS by reducing the need to
visit a doctor.
It also marks the latest move by Amazon into healthcare following
its purchase of online pharmacy PillPack last year and a tie-up with
Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co in the United States
aimed at cutting health costs for hundreds of thousands of their
employees.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said millions of people were
already asking Alexa and other voice assistants about health
matters, and he wanted to make sure they received the very best
advice in response.
He said the service would be backed by strong privacy rules to
protect patient confidentiality.
"There is a clear protocol in place that Amazon has and that we have
in the NHS," he told BBC radio.
The NHS is a cherished institution for many Britons, providing
services from routine consultations to life-saving operations. But
it is under growing financial pressure in the face of increasing
patient demands and budget constraints.
A general practitioner (GP), often referred to as "family doctor",
is usually the first port of call for a person feeling unwell in
Britain.
Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said
voice-assisted technology could free up more doctors' appointments
for patients who need them most.
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"It has the potential to help some patients work out what kind of
care they need before considering whether to seek face-to-face
medical help, especially for minor ailments that rarely need a GP
appointment," she said.
"But we must be careful not to create a 'digital divide' between
those patients who can afford it and are able to use it, and those
who can't."
Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices such as Echo and Echo Dot range in
price from about 50 pounds ($62) to more than 200 pounds.
The U.S. company's algorithm uses information from the NHS website
to provide answers to voice questions such as "Alexa, how do I treat
a migraine?" or "Alexa, what are the symptoms of chickenpox".
Technology, led by artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, is
being increasingly deployed in healthcare.
London-based Babylon Health says its AI technology, in tests, has
outperformed most physicians in assessing disease symptoms.
Chatbot Florence, named after Florence Nightingale - the founder of
modern nursing - allows patients to monitor health and wellness
indicators via Kik, Skype and Facebook Messenger.
In India, Practo, founded in 2008, acts as a one-stop shop for
patients booking appointments with doctors for online and
face-to-face consultations.
(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru and Paul Sandle in
London; Additional reporting by Sangameswaran S, Editing by Deepa
Babington and Mark Potter)
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