Last month, global technology and e-commerce giant Amazon and telemedicine company Teladoc announced a new initiative: providing virtual care through Amazon Alexa devices.
The announcement indicated that “customers in the US will now be able to connect to a Teladoc care provider 24/7 from supported Echo devices for general medical needs. Teladoc on Alexa will initially launch via audio and video visits coming soon.” Is.”
Teladoc Chief Product Officer Donna Boyer continued: “Teladoc Health’s collaboration with Amazon is another step in breaking down barriers to healthcare. […] By introducing and integrating our Virtual First Care experience with the Echo device, we are providing an innovative and convenient way for users to connect with a doctor. We are meeting consumers where they are, to continue providing members with value and high quality care. ,
In fact, this is a huge milestone for both the companies. Teladoc went public in 2015 in a deal worth about $157 million, right at the time when digital health and telehealth were becoming a more prominent concept in care delivery. However, Teladoc found its true progress during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when people around the world were forced into isolation and quarantine – highlighting the value of virtual care services. Indeed, the concept has significant promise in solving many modern health care problems.
Fortunately, Amazon continues its strides in healthcare. With the launch of Amazon Care as well as its robust pharmaceutical services, the company is slowly but surely developing an entire ecosystem that will soon become a mainstream mode of care delivery.
Telemedicine at home.
getty
Now with this new partnership, both the companies are expanding their reach significantly. With millions of Alexa devices currently in use, the potential value of this partnership is endless. It provides a convenient, easy and creative way for consumers to get their healthcare services inside their homes.
The process is relatively simple: “To get started, customers can say, ‘Alexa, I’d like to speak to a doctor’ on their supported Echo device to connect to the Teladoc call center. Customers can then access non-emergency health needs.” , such as experiencing symptoms of a cold, flu or allergies, will receive a call back from a Teladoc doctor on their Echo device. Cost per visit can be as low as $0 per visit with insurance or $75 without insurance Might be possible.”
Of course, this is undoubtedly the first of many more similar partnerships to come. Certainly, Alphabet (Google) has significant potential to expand in this area, as the company’s Google Home product is even more prevalent than Amazon Alexa in homes across the country. It is only a matter of time before the company will take a similar path to provide convenient telehealth solutions to its customer base.
With regard to its own, Google has greatly expanded its role in healthcare. Its Care Studio platform is a promising effort to work with electronic health record (EHR) companies to improve clinical management and optimize patient care. In addition, Google’s prowess in data consolidation and analytics is industry-leading like no other. This gives Google a unique advantage in potentially developing a product that can deliver value to consumer home health needs.
In fact, the historic deal between Amazon and Teladoc signals a new era of healthcare: one that focuses on convenience, ease, and a patient-first mentality. Undoubtedly, there will be many more similar initiatives in this ecosystem in the years to come.
