Boston hospital tries medical applications of Amazon's voice recognition software

| | Health Exec | Precision Medicine

Boston Children’s Hospital is testing a variety of new applications based around Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition software, reported the Boston Globe.

The hospital created three simulation rooms—an operating room, an intensive care unit and a child’s bedroom—to show off different ways voice commands could help physicians, or in some cases, frustrate them. 

In the operating room, physicians tried using Alexa to automatically take and log photos during a simulated colonoscopy, rather than documenting them manually afterward. It didn’t work precisely as planned during a demonstration. The hospital’s clinical director of innovation, Michael Docktor, MD, had to repeat the same command for Alexa to stop recording.

“Stop, will ya?” Docktor said. “This is obviously version 0.0.1.”

To read more about how the software could be used to help nurses draw blood, or assist parents at home when their child has a fever, click on the link below: 

'Alexa, pull those lab results': A hospital tries out virtual assistants

Related Content

Pitching the business case for 3D printing labs in radiology
FDA issues first-ever clearance for OTC oximeter
Augmented reality company secures $15M in funding from Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, GE Healthcare and more
Merck to acquire Prometheus Biosciences for $10.8B
Johnson & Johnson scraps RSV vaccine after trial
Intermountain Health launches new biotech company

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
Payment cuts and beyond: Key takeaways for cardiologists from the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

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. 

AI in Healthcare
A modest proposal to rally AI regulators around a simple game plan

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.”

Cardiovascular Business
FDA commissioner urges clinicians to join fight against medical misinformation

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, said the clinical community needs to combat health misinformation at a grassroots level. He warned that patients are immersed in a "sea of misinformation without a compass."

Design by Adaptive Theme
Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup