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Alexa has a new crowd to interact with: patients. Cedars-Sinai hospital, a non-profit hospital in Los Angeles, has taken a bold step forward to bringing more technology and control in its patient rooms. The hospital is now using Amazon Alexa in its patient rooms for when patients need assistance.
Through a pilot program, the hospital is testing a new Alexa-powered healthcare platform called Aiva. Through this platform, patients are able to use Amazon Echo in their rooms to do things like call for assistance from a nurse or control their televisions.
For example, when a patient says something like “Alexa, tell my nurse I need to get up to use the restroom,” this request will be forwarded to the mobile phone of the appropriate nurse. If a patient is requesting pain medication, these types of requests would be sent to a registered nurse, while other requests such as restroom needs would be go clinical partners. If a request is not answered, it will be moved appropriately in the chain of command.
For patients ability to control their television through their voice may seem something small, it’s actually quite huge. “Whereas previously nurses were frequently asked to help with the in-room television, Alexa does that job for us, allowing nurses to focus on providing the highest level of patient care,” said Golda Morales, assistant nurse manager of General Surgery.
Amazon Alexa’s will be used in patient rooms, but the Cedars-Sinai hospital also plans to add iPads to help hospitalized patients check on their medical information, and review names and photos of the team responsible for their care.
