Alexa for the People
Well, for our elderly patients. Google Home too. Either or really.
There was a very big announcement today between Aetna and the Apple Watch to try to improve and reward health behaviors of Aetna’s patients. This isn’t a first, many other plans have implemented similar ways of trying to attain the same goals, like using Fitbits for example. But, this is probably one of the largest and more significant of them due to increasing healthcare applications of the Apple Watch. After reading about this big announcement I began to wonder, who’s going to be the first major health plan to strike a deal with the Alexa?
I actually think the voice first devices like the Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, and Pillo might be a better piece of technology for patients over 65 than most mobile apps. It’s actually much easier to use and has a much lower barrier to entry. Think about it, hand a mobile device to someone who’s never held an iPhone and tell them to use it. Put an Alexa device in front of them and tell them to ask it things. Which one will be easier to use? Oh, and an Alexa costs $30, but an iPhone? $1,000. I think voice applications by Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa will allow us to leapfrog our patients into the technology era much quicker than we did with mobile phones. The average person over 65 has been talking since they were three years old. But that same individual has been practicing with their smartphone for the past 10 years and still can’t figure out how to reset their iCloud password. Technology is supposed to make things easier for us, and I think voice applications will be a true testament of that.
The immediate connectivity to everything with voice first platforms are truly remarkable. The full potential may not have been fully developed yet, but patients with an Alexa will one day be able to order their prescription refills from their pharmacy, evaluate their sleep patterns, and help them remember to take their medications…all just by being able to have a conversation. Think about how cumbersome these tasks are usually using a mobile device. Interesting right?
In a few of the conferences I attended in 2019 I noticed that loneliness is becoming a determinant of someone’s health outcomes. Plans and providers are beginning to have assessments to determine the severity or impact loneliness may play in a patients social life. A potential answer to helping? Alexa! Having this device in your home not only talks to you, but can easily, by the command of your voice, dial in a loved one to spend a few minutes with you. Facebook’s new Portal is a device I think really embodies this potential. While we don’t know yet if this will actually solve the problem, hopefully we can see some data behind it once it hits scale.
Privacy of these devices are a concern, and a fair one at that. But, I don’t believe these concerns are enough to stop the progress and momentum of these devices. I’m hopeful society will place enough pressure to ensure our privacy remains respected and protected. In tandem, I hope we encourage its widespread adoption because it’s a cheap and easy way to help us provide better care for those we love.
Thanks for reading.
Take care,
-Richard
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Richard Waithe, PharmD | Richard@vucahealth.com
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