Amazon One Medical unveils Health AI assistant for patients

Amazon One Medical has launched its Health AI assistant to provide patients with 24/7 health guidance based on an individual's health records, the company has announced.

The Health AI assistant is a HIPAA-compliant agentic AI tool that the company said could help patients book appointments, manage medications and get answers to their healthcare questions. When the agent detects that users might need provider expertise, it connects the user to a care team via messaging or by booking a same- or next-day appointment.

"The U.S. healthcare experience is fragmented, with each provider seeing only parts of your health puzzle," Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, said in a blog post announcing the tool.

"Health AI in the One Medical app brings together all the pieces of your personal health information to give you a more complete picture -- helping you understand your health, and supporting you in getting the care you need to get and stay well," Lindsay added. "Health AI makes getting health care easier and more convenient, so patients can focus on what matters most: their health."

This launch comes as other health IT giants introduce their own consumer-facing AI tools. Earlier this month, OpenAI announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, which provides a separate user experience for those making medical queries and inputting their digital health records.

Not long after, Anthropic unveiled Claude for Health, which includes consumer- and provider-facing AI functions.

The Health AI assistant is available to Amazon One Medical members via the One Medical app and personalizes insights by drawing on information, including in the patient's electronic medical records. Amazon One Medical confirmed that the tool is compliant with HIPAA.

More specifically, patients can use the Health AI assistant to do the following:

• Get explanations of lab work in the context of the user's health history.
• Receive 24/7 guidance on symptoms, conditions, potential treatments and wellness questions.
• Get help determining the right healthcare services and options based on a specific health need.
• Complete care coordination and streamline certain care tasks, such as booking appointments or managing prescription refills.

Amazon One Medical stressed that the tool is not intended to replace a healthcare provider but rather complement provider services. To that end, the company employed the clinical leadership at One Medical to help design the tool. Additionally, the technology will connect patients with a provider should patients display urgent symptoms in need of clinical expertise.

"Even as AI capabilities expand, the patient-clinician relationship -- built over time and rooted in shared humanity -- remains crucially important and irreplaceable," Dr. Andrew Diamond, chief medical officer at One Medical, said in the announcement. "Our Health AI enhances this relationship by helping members understand their health information and manage their routine health tasks, coaching them to stick to their health program and quickly connecting them to their trusted providers when they need the care and expertise of a human clinician."

The company also emphasized privacy controls. In addition to boasting HIPAA-compliance, Amazon One Medical noted that the conversations with the Health AI assistant are not automatically added to the medical record, nor does it sell member data. The data is encrypted and protected with technical, physical and administrative safeguards.

"We're committed to developing responsible, reliable AI that makes our members' lives better," Prakash Bulusu, vice president of Health Stores & Technology at Amazon Health Services, said in the announcement. "Health AI in the One Medical app excels at connecting the dots across a member's complete health picture while maintaining rigorous safety standards -- empowering informed decisions 24/7 with providers always in the lead."

Sara Heath has reported news related to patient engagement and health equity since 2015.