Teladoc Health launches Amazon Alliance to advance virtual care
HARRISON N.Y: Teladoc Health formed a relationship with Amazon to launch a voice-activated general medical virtual care via Amazon Alexa
Amazon and telemedicine provider Teladoc Health is starting a voice-activated virtual care program that lets customers get medical help without picking up their phones.
The service, for health issues that aren’t emergencies, will be available around the clock on Amazon’s Echo devices. Customers can tell the voice assistant Alexa that they want to talk to a doctor, and that will prompt a call back on the device from a Teladoc physician.
Teladoc Health’s collaboration with Amazon is yet another step in breaking down barriers to healthcare access,” said Donna Boyer, chief product officer, Teladoc Health. “By introducing and integrating our virtual first care experience with Echo devices, we are providing an innovative and convenient way for users to connect with a doctor. We are meeting consumers where they are, to continue to deliver value and high-quality care to members.”
To get started, customers can say, “Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor,” to their supported Echo device to get connected with the Teladoc call center. Customers will then get a call back on their Echo devices from a Teladoc doctor for virtual visits related to non-emergency health needs, such as experiencing symptoms of a cold, flu, or allergies. The cost per visit can be as low as US$0 per visit with insurance or US$75 without insurance.
The move is rightly timed as the market for virtual care space is at its peak ever since the pandemic has hit the world. Thanks to the new normal trend of social distancing, people are adapting to telehealth practices to avoid the risk of getting infected.
For a long time, telemedicine has tried to pitch itself but even in 2019, only about 10% of Americans used telemedicine to make a virtual visit. The pandemic changed that habit for good now.
