Amazon is launching an AI healthcare assistant on its website and app

Amazon he announced Tuesday that it is expanding its AI healthcare capabilities on its website and app. The assistant, called Health AI, was available on the app of One Medical, a healthcare company Amazon has a $3.9 billion acquisition in 2023.

Health AI can answer questions, explain health history, manage medication refills, book appointments, and more. Users don’t need to be Prime or One Medical subscribers to use the provider, Amazon says.

Amazon says that while Health AI can answer all health questions without accessing a person’s medical information, it is designed to act as a personal assistant that can provide personalized guidance and action, such as connecting you to health professionals and support.

Of course, there are risks associated with sharing your health information with AI, and researchers and warning against thereby, warning that companies are dragging the user’s discussion to educate.

Amazon said in a Press release that it trains “Health AI models on undetected images without direct detection.” For example, if more patients are asking about drug interactions, Amazon says it can use these methods, while keeping patient names private, to improve how Health AI answers similar questions.

The company also said that all interactions with Health AI take place in a HIPAA-compliant environment, and that conversations are protected by “encryption and access control.” However, Amazon did not share how the conversations are being edited and who is accessing them. TechCrunch has gotten to the point.

If you give Health AI access to your health information, Amazon says it does so through the Health Information Exchange, which is a secure global system for sharing patient medical data.

Health AI can interpret your lab results, your diagnoses, and your medical history to provide accurate, personalized answers to your medical conditions and medications, Amazon says.

If you need professional care, Health AI can connect you with a One Medical provider. Senior members in the US using Health AI receive up to five free consultations directly with a One Medical Provider for 30 common conditions, including colds and flu, coughs, acid reflux, pink eye, UTIs, erectile dysfunction, anti-aging skin care, hair loss, and more. Non-Prime members can connect with One Medical providers through Amazon’s payment system.

Users can sign up for Health AI at Amazon Health website. As Amazon expands opportunities, they will receive an email when they find a sponsor.

Once users have access, they must create or sign up for their Amazon Health profile. They can then start a conversation by typing a health question to Health AI on Amazon.com or in the Amazon app.

Users can ask questions like “Can you explain my recent cholesterol results and what they mean to me?” or “I’m feeling nauseous and I have a sore throat.

Amazon’s expansion of Health AI comes as popular AI applications have rapidly moved into the healthcare space. OpenAI has been released ChatGPT Healthits version of chatbots designed to answer health questions, in January. A week later, Anthropic announced its health-focused, Claude for Healthcare.