Livongo, the leading Applied Health Signals company, today announced the Livongo for Diabetes program will now leverage Amazon Alexa’s voice service to offer its Members the ability to ask any of their Alexa-enabled devices to provide their blood glucose readings and health tips via the new Livongo skill. The integration marks Livongo as the first consumer digital health company to collaborate with Amazon Alexa on a new HIPAA-compliant healthcare skill, which builds on Livongo’s efforts to make it easier for Members to stay healthy.
“Livongo’s goal is to leverage innovative technologies to create a world-class Member experience. We believe that voice technology will have an impactful role in helping our Members better manage their chronic conditions, and health in general. Speaking and listening are natural communication channels, and voice-based capabilities also allow us to reach people who prefer other modes of communication,” said Livongo President, Dr. Jennifer Schneider, M.D., M.S. “Our Members now have the ability to hear their last blood glucose check by simply asking Alexa. In providing seamless health insights while our Members are preparing meals or about to exercise, Livongo can more effectively drive positive behavior change.”
Value of Livongo’s Amazon Alexa Healthcare Skill
To date, more than 100 million Alexa-enabled devices have been purchased by consumers. By offering Livongo Members the ability to access health information via the Livongo skill for Alexa, Livongo can provide more personalized and timely insights through voice – the most natural and convenient user interface in the home.
All interactions with the Livongo skill through Amazon Alexa are HIPAA-compliant to ensure users are confident that their information is managed securely and privately. The Livongo for Diabetes program is proven to lead to greater Member satisfaction1, an average 0.8 percent reduction in mean HbA1c, and cost savings of $83 per participant per month.
“By integrating Amazon’s advanced voice technology into Livongo’s whole person platform, we can offer our Members another channel where they can securely access their health information and insights,” said Livongo Chief Product Officer Amar Kendale. “Meeting our Members with the right information, at the right time, and delivered in a way that is easiest for them to consume, makes it easier for them to stay healthy.”
5 Other Amazon Alexa Healthcare Skills
In addition to Livongo’s Amazon Alexa healthcare skill, Amazon release five other new skills designed to help customers manage a variety of healthcare needs at home simply using voice
The five other healthcare skills launched today are:
Express Scripts (a leading Pharmacy Services Organization): Members can check the status of a home delivery prescription and can request Alexa notifications when their prescription orders are shipped
Cigna Health Today(by Cigna, the global health service company): Eligible employees with one of Cigna’s large national accounts can now manage their health improvement goals and increase opportunities for earning personalized wellness incentives
My Children’s Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) (by Boston Children’s Hospital, a leading children’s hospital): Parents and caregivers of children in the ERAS program at Boston Children’s Hospital can provide their care teams updates on recovery progress and receive information regarding their post-op appointments.
Swedish Health Connect (by Providence St. Joseph Health, a healthcare system with 51 hospitals across 7 states and 829 clinics): Customers can find an urgent care center near them and schedule a same-day appointment.
Atrium Health (a healthcare system with more than 40 hospitals and 900 care locations throughout North and South Carolina and Georgia): Customers in North and South Carolina can find an urgent care location near them and schedule a same-day appointment.
Impact of Applying Voice Technology in Healthcare
Adding an Alexa skill to the Livongo for Diabetes program is the latest example of how the company is applying voice technology to the Livongo Member experience. Earlier this year, Livongo announced it is leveraging Amazon Lex and Amazon Polly to power its voice-enabled cellular blood pressure monitoring system. During Livongo’s annual healthcare conference, SIGNUM, the company showcased the new Livongo for Hypertension experience that delivers a voice Health Nudge™ after each blood pressure reading. This is an example of how Livongo’s Applied Health Signals platform delivers personalized insights to Livongo Members at the point of health impact.
Another recent example is Los Angeles-based health system Cedars-Sinai launching a smart hospital room pilot that will allow patients to use an Amazon Alexa-powered platform known as Aiva to interact hands-free with nurses and control their entertainment. The aim of the pilot project is to move patient interaction into the 21st century when hospital rooms will need more intelligence and convenience to accommodate changing patient needs.
Orbita, Inc. is another company that recently expanded the capabilities of Orbita Voice, a HIPAA-compliant platform for voice and chatbot applications in healthcare.