The estimated reading time for this post is 3 minutes
When you’re feeling poorly, searching your symptoms on the Internet may make you feel even worse. You may see images you’ll never get out of your head, or become certain that you have only hours to live.
Dr. A.I. is a free skill for Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant, that can help diagnose your illness without subjecting you to gruesome images or harrowing tales of people suffering from unrelated maladies. Using your voice with Alexa, you can ask Dr. A.I. to diagnose your symptoms and get suggestions for treatment and/or recommendations of nearby doctors.
HealthTap, a global health practice company, launched Dr. A.I. to help people diagnose their symptoms without having to do an Internet search. Dr. A.I. combines the expertise of 107.000 U.S. trained doctors in 141 different specialties to form the knowledge base of this service.
This Alexa skill can be helpful to those who aren’t able to easily get to a doctor. New parents, those who are infirmed, and people who aren’t near health care services may especially benefit from Dr. A.I.
Ron Gutman, Founder and CEO of HealthTap said of Dr. A.I., “It’s quite remarkable to see how we’ve orchestrated doctors, technology, design and data to come together and enable instant, humane triaging exactly when people need it most. Years of diligent, collaborative work of some of the brightest doctors, engineers, and data scientists combined with groundbreaking work of some of the best user experience and visual designers on the planet, have brought to life a first of its kind, smart and compassionate Dr. A.I. Wow!”
Using the Dr. A.I. Alexa Skill
Dr. A.I. is an Alexa skill that you can use to help diagnose your illness. To enable this Alexa skill, visit the Dr. A.I. page on Amazon and sign up for a HealthTap account at HealthTap member sign-up page.
Then ask, “Alexa, talk to Dr. A.I.” and describe your symptoms. Dr. A.I. will ask questions to try to determine what’s wrong. You can have a conversation with Dr. A.I. using artificial intelligence to help find out why you’re not feeling well.
Dr. A.I. can suggest possible illnesses and treatments for that illness. If you have voice purchasing enabled for Alexa you can order over-the-counter medications directly from Amazon. Dr. A.I. can also suggest nearby doctors if you want to be seen in person by an actual doctor.
The description for this Alexa skill states, “Dr. A.I. engages with you in an empathetic conversation about your symptoms and overall health. Powered by the most advanced Artificial Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, and Deep Learning techniques, Dr. A.I. immediately translates your symptoms into possible medical explanations that are personalized to your age, gender, possible conditions, medications, and other relevant aspects of your health and well being. Dr. A.I. then gives you appropriate doctor-recommended insights as well as the best possible courses of action you can take on the road to feeling good. After sharing your symptoms, if you wish, you can even talk with a real doctor right away!”
What Else You Need to Know
Before you use Dr. A.I. there are some other things you should know, including this disclaimer from the Dr. A.I. Alexa skill description: “DISCLAIMER: The information presented through this skill is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. “Dr. A.I.” is not a doctor — it is a tool that provides information from a doctor-created medical knowledge-base, including symptoms and possible related conditions. Immediately call or visit your doctor or local emergency services provider if you believe you may be having a medical emergency.”
Using the Dr. A.I. Alexa skill requires that you create and link to a HealthTap account. This lets Dr. A.I. be aware of information such as your age, sex, any allergies, etc. to help diagnose your symptoms. Be sure to read the HealthTap Privacy Policy before creating an account.
Dr. A.I. is also available via the HealthTap website and the free HealthTap app for:
Your Thoughts
Do you like the idea of using Dr. A.I. with Alexa to help you diagnose a possible illness? Would you prefer using Dr. A.I. with Alexa than doing an Internet search of your symptoms? Do you think artificial intelligence can be helpful in the medical field?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Wow. I had no idea that things like this even exist, but I guess it’s such a lucrative industry that AI can bring services to thousands more that would otherwise be out of reach. Nice article.
Hi Charlie, Yes, Dr. A.I. may help guide people to the right diagnosis and a medical provider who can help treat the issues. I hope you find this Alexa skill helpful, Charlie.