Amazon rolls out healthcare AI assistant across its website and mobile app

Amazon announced on Tuesday that it is expanding the availability of its healthcare AI assistant across both its main website and mobile app. The assistant, called Health AI, had previously been offered only through the One Medical app, the healthcare company Amazon acquired in 2023 for $3.9 billion.

Health AI can answer user questions, explain health records, handle prescription renewals, schedule appointments, and perform other related tasks. According to Amazon, users do not need to be Prime subscribers or One Medical members to access and use the assistant.

Amazon says that although Health AI can respond to general health questions without access to a person’s medical information, it is intended to serve as a more personalised health assistant that can provide more specific guidance and take actions, including helping connect users with healthcare professionals and treatment options.

There are, of course, concerns about sharing health information with AI tools, and researchers have warned people to be cautious, noting that companies may collect user conversations for training.

In its announcement, Amazon said it trains “Health AI models on abstracted patterns without directly identifying information.” For instance, if several patients ask questions about medication interactions, Amazon says it may use those patterns, while keeping patient names private, to improve how Health AI answers similar questions in the future.

The company also said that all interactions with Health AI take place inside a HIPAA-compliant environment, and that conversations are secured through “encryption and strict access controls.” Even so, Amazon did not specify exactly how those conversations are encrypted or who is allowed to access them.

With a user’s permission, Health AI can access their health information through the Health Information Exchange, the nationwide secure system for sharing patient medical data.

Amazon says Health AI can then interpret lab results, diagnoses, and medical records to deliver accurate, personalised answers about symptoms and medications.

If a user needs professional care, Health AI can connect them with a One Medical provider. Prime members in the U.S. who use Health AI are eligible to receive up to five free direct-message care consultations with a One Medical provider for more than 30 common conditions, including cold and flu, allergies, acid reflux, pink eye, UTIs, erectile dysfunction, anti-ageing skin care, hair loss, and more. Non-Prime users can also connect with One Medical providers through Amazon’s pay-per-visit option.

Users can register for Health AI through the Amazon Health page. As Amazon continues rolling out access more broadly, users will receive an email once the assistant becomes available to them.

After access is granted, users need to create or sign in to their personal Amazon Health profile. They can then begin a conversation by typing a health-related question into Health AI on Amazon.com or within the Amazon app.

Users may ask questions such as, “Can you explain my recent cholesterol results and what they mean for me?” or “I’m feeling congested and have a sore throat. What should I do?”

Amazon’s expansion of Health AI comes at a time when major AI services are rapidly entering the healthcare sector. In January, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, a version of its chatbot designed specifically to answer health-related questions. A week later, Anthropic introduced its own healthcare-focused offering, Claude for Healthcare.