Amazon rolls out Alexa's first HIPPA-compliant medical skills

Voice is the next frontier for making access to healthcare easier and Amazon with its plans of entering the healthcare industry has now received a huge boost. Amazon has announced Alexa’s first HIPPA compliant medical skills which will bring healthcare to people’s homes.

The Alexa device will now be able to help its customers book a medical appointment, check on the status of prescription delivery, access hospital post-discharge needs at home by voice and much more. Now, that Alexa is HIPAA compliant it is now inviting developers for its voice app in the U.S. But the company will soon extend the courtesy to more developers in the near future.

For now, Alexa will come with six skills which will be provided for by healthcare providers, pharmacy services and other healthcare related companies. Among the skills which have been introduced to the digital assistant are:

• Atrium Health: Customers in North and South Carolina can find an urgent care location near them and schedule same-day appointments
• Express Scripts: Members will be able to request Alexa for notifications on prescription order status
• Cigna Health Today: Employees who have Cigna’s account can manage their health improvement goals and increase opportunities for earning personalized wellness incentives

The introduction of these Alexa skills is quite understandably generating some excitement. The skill addition is one of the first steps for the acclaimed e-commerce giant to enter healthcare. Amazon has also partnered with Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan Chase to venture into healthcare in a big way in the near future.