Amazon has partnered with First Databank, Inc. (FDB) to provide Alexa with information about drugs and medical devices. Healthcare professionals use FDB to see what medications can be used for, what the side effects are, who medication is safe for, and what medications can be mixed. Now, Alexa will be able to answer questions such as:
- Alexa, what is Tylenol?
- Alexa, is Advil safe for pregnant women?
- Alexa, what are the side effects of Nortriptyline?
Available in both English and Spanish, the information from FDB will be updated regularly, according to a press release from the company.
Bob Katter, FDB’s president, said in the press release,
“People lead busy lives and voice provides a simple way to get helpful information about medications including side effects and drug interactions – for themselves and the people they care for – and this information will complement advice from their medical and pharmacy teams. Ultimately, we believe that more informed consumers will lead to improved medication adherence, the reduction of adverse drug events, and better patient outcomes.”
Alexa’s Uses in Medicine
This is not the first time that Alexa has been used in healthcare. Last May, Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angelos piloted a program that put the voice assistant in 100 patient rooms. Using Aiva, a voice assistant platform for hospitals, patients could have Alexa get a nurse or change the channel as well as asking about the news, weather, or sports. This gave nurses more time to focus on medical care, according to healthcare workers at the hospital.
Alexa has also been used to help treat patients with chronic pain. Pennsylvania State University researchers had Alexa perform a non-addictive pain treatment called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction as an alternative to opioids, which can be addictive. By not requiring a smart phone, Alexa helped patients stick to the program and engage with it long-term.
FAQs
Can Alexa remind you to take medication?
Alexa can remind you to take medications.
How does Alexa remind?
Alexa reminds with her voice via the Alexa-integrated device, be it an Echo Dot smart speaker, an Echo Show display and others.
How do I cancel a reminder on Alexa?
To cancel a reminder on Alexa, just say “Alexa, cancel my reminder”.
What is Alexa and how much does it cost?
Alexa is a voice assistant from Amazon that users can command using their voices alone to perform a variety of tasks. Alexa is free and it’s free to download the Alexa app on iOS or Android, but some users buy devices with Alexa built in.
Is there a monthly fee for Alexa?
There’s no monthly fee to use Alexa.
What can Alexa do?
Alexa can perform thousands of different tasks, like reading recipes step by step, playing movies, music, TV shows, and podcasts, giving reminders, telling users about the weather or a recent sports games, and more. Alexa is constantly being updated so the voice assistant’s abilities are expanding at all times.
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