Amazon announced its AI-powered health assistant is now available on its website and mobile app. This move shows the growing competition among tech companies in digital healthcare.
The new assistant is called Health AI. It was previously only available through the One Medical app. Amazon bought One Medical, a healthcare company, in 2023.
Health AI can answer general health questions. It can also explain medical records and test results. It helps manage prescription refills and book doctor's appointments, according to TechCrunch.
Amazon stated that using Health AI does not require Amazon Prime or One Medical membership. This makes it accessible to more people.
Personal Health Assistant
Amazon says Health AI can answer general health questions without seeing your personal medical data. However, it is designed to be a personal health assistant. It gives custom advice when allowed to access health information.
Once you agree, Health AI can access your data. It uses a system called Health Information Exchange. This is a secure network for sharing medical data between health providers.
Health AI can then analyze lab results, diagnoses, and medical records. It provides simple explanations for symptoms or medicines.
If you need medical advice, it can connect you directly to doctors from the One Medical network.
Extra Benefits for Prime Members
Amazon shared that Prime members in the US get free consultations. They can message One Medical doctors about over 30 common conditions. These include colds, flu, allergies, acid reflux, UTIs, and hair loss.
Non-Prime users can talk to doctors by paying per visit.
Privacy Concerns
Using AI in healthcare raises privacy concerns. Researchers warn about sharing sensitive health data with AI systems. They worry conversations might be used to train AI models.
Amazon assured that Health AI models are trained on abstract data. This data does not include direct personal information. The system might use common patient questions, like about drug interactions, to improve answers. User identity is not revealed.
Amazon also noted that all interactions follow US health data protection standards (HIPAA). They use encryption and strict access controls for data security.
Tech Race in Healthcare
Amazon's new service comes as AI companies rapidly enter healthcare. In January, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health for medical questions. A week later, Anthropic announced Claude for Healthcare.
This rapid trend shows tech companies believe AI will be key in future digital health services.