Alexa has earned its PhD in first aid

Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated digital assistant, has learned how to dispense first aid information in the event of a medical emergency from Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic.

Moving past answering questions about the newest restaurant in town, Mayo Clinic has enabled Alexa to tell users first aid practices in the event of an emergency with their free Mayo Clinic First Aid program. The hands-free instructions describe specific instructions for users to follow, aiming to improve outcomes.

“We provide health information in a print newsletter, digital newsletter, desktop web, mobile web, Mayo Clinic app. We view this voice interface, specifically the Amazon Alexa application, as basically a new channel to provide that information,” said Jay Maxwell, a senior director in health information with the Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions, which developed Mayo Clinic First Aid.

Read the full story below:

""
Cara Livernois, News Writer

Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”