It’s nothing short of fascinating when you really think about what all a human mind can imagine. The limitless nature of it makes for a scenario where we pretty much have everything in our reach. Furthermore, it doesn’t just remove the barriers, but it also creates a mental map in our head for the purpose of guiding us through our journey to something better. Now, over the years, we have used this ability to conjure up a variety of things, which are benefitting us even today. However, each one of those ideas pale in comparison when the talk about technology is pursued. There are a ton of reasons behind it, but most importantly, it is technology’s versatile take on everything that does the trick. If you look around, you’d see that many of our creations seem to be largely focused on an exclusive goal. Technology, on the other hand, can be a medium to endless objectives without making any sacrifices on the quality frontier. Hence, its ability to accommodate different needs makes it an attractive prospect for industries from all over the spectrum. One such industry that got to have a firsthand experience of technology’s skill-set was healthcare. It’s barely a secret that the medical sector has struggled for a long time to encourage meaningful progression across all its disciplines, and that’s exactly what made technology’s achievements here much more special. The industry’s transition to MedTech wasn’t just about finding cures for certain treatments. Instead, it was, by and large, about reinventing healthcare. The gazillion milestones that followed haven’t stopped this reinvention, and as a result of it, the sector is now firmly looking at a wholly unique future, with the latest testament of it provided by Amazon.
After dominating home and workspace, Amazon is now looking to bring its popular Alexa device into the medical fabric. The core idea is to use this device in patients’ rooms and other assisted living facilities for improving communication, and consequentially, preparing a more immediate response to any potential emergencies. To substantiate its push in the said direction, Amazon recently struck a deal with a host of healthcare companies and institutions that included Cedars-Sinai, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Atria Senior Living.
“Using AI for the interpretation of patient intent will enable the direction of messages to the appropriate resource using real-time smart routing to existing hospital communication systems. Ultimately this will reduce the number of steps taken to understand and address patient needs,” says Timothy Driscoll, director of technology strategy at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Amazon has been tinkering with vision of Alexa in a medical context since 2019, when it collaborated with Cedars-Sinai to place the device in 100 hospital rooms. As per the reports, having Alexa within the facility during Covid 19 pandemic also ensured a more productive use of the limited staff that hospitals had at the time. While the application of Alexa in hospital surroundings is supposed to aid patient care, the nursing homes can use it to help patients in connecting with their loved ones, and checking out information like the day’s menu or any events that might be happening around their community.
The healthcare push by Amazon is integral to its Alexa Smart Properties segment, which is also making similar strides in the hotel, as well as other commercial sectors.
