‘Alexa, I Want To Talk To A Doctor:' Amazon’s Voice Assistant To Call Up Physicians

Amazon’s (AMZN) voice assistant Alexa will soon be able to call up a doctor for a virtual medical visit through a partnership it has entered into with telemedicine provider Teladoc Health (TDOC).

Just by saying, “Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor,” owners of Alexa-enabled devices such as the Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show will be able to connect with a Teladoc care provider 24/7 for a general medical care visit.

Users would initially be connected to a Teladoc call center, where they would then get a call back from a doctor on their Echo device for a virtual healthcare visit for non-emergency care.

The medical visit will be completely virtual through the Alexa device’s audio, which Teladoc said video visits would be coming soon.

The bill for the medical visits could be as low as no cost with insurance or $75 without insurance, Teladoc said.

“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,” Donna Boyer, chief product officer at Teladoc Health, said in a statement.

The Amazon venture is another step in the healthcare arena for the e-commerce giant, which launched an online prescription pharmacy in November 2020 as it looked to rival its biggest competitor Walmart.

Telehealth grew significantly amid the COVID-19 pandemic as patients looked to avoid inpatient care to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Whether they’re taking care of their sick child in the middle of the night or wanting to ask a doctor about allergy symptoms in-between meetings during the day, we hope this experience will help customers find the convenient help they want from the comfort of their own home,” Debra Chrapaty, vice president and chief operating officer at Amazon Alexa, said.

As of Monday at 1:18 p.m. EST, shares of Amazon were trading at $3,043.09, down $32.68, or 1.06%, while shares of Teladoc Health were trading at $75.04, up $4.30, or 6.08%.