In order for Alexa to answer sensitive healthcare questions , it take to be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA ) . And , as of Thursday , Amazon says its voice assistant is offering service that are . Ina blog Emily Price Post today , the company herald that a figure of unexampled wellness skills can now be enable on its hands - free talker , making commands like “ Alexa , enquire Livongo for my last profligate sugar recitation ” potential .
Amazon says Alexa ’s “ HIPAA - eligible environment ” is currently invite - only to potential healthcare developer , but there are already six skills available to those who trust the company to handle data about their prescription drug , ancestry saccharide levels , and post - operation recovery position .
Boston ’s Children ’s Hospital has one , called My Children ’s Enhanced Recovery After Surgery , which , as the name suggests , allows you to both provide recovery updates and get information on follow - up appointments , according to Amazon ’s web log post . Express Scripts , the largest pharmacy welfare management organization in the U.S. , has a skill that lets you ask about item on prescription medicine orders . Digital wellness startup Livongo ’s skill countenance you ask about blood sugar readings . Other skills get you take Alexa about health goal and urgent caution centers , and also schedule assignment .
Photo: Alex Cranz
While Amazon look confident that its new Alexa environment can abide by with HIPAA , the company has spectacularly fucked up in the past tense when it make out to protect users ’ privacy . Last twelvemonth , Amazon ’s base helper reportedly recorded someone ’s conversation and thensent the transcription to an acquaintance , and just months later , the company reportedly sent someone1,700 audio frequency recordingsof a stranger by accident .
Asked for comment , an Amazon spokesperson punctuate that many of the skills ask “ account statement linking and/or a voice codification ” to be used . “ to boot , interactions with the accomplishment will be redacted in the Alexa app , ” the spokesperson add together .
As Amazon continuesitsexpansioninto the healthcare field , it seems inevitable the retail giant will end up handling ream of aesculapian data . Let ’s just hope that Alexa is as effective at programing doctor ’s date as it is at inadvertent spying .
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