Telus health app to offer video doctor appointments, AI advice

A new app launched by Telus Corp.’s health division will enable users to video chat with doctors and consult an artificial-intelligence chatbot about their symptoms. Telus said Tuesday the new smartphone app, launched in partnership with UK-based remote health care provider Babylon, will be available for download across the country. The doctor consultation service will initially only be available in BC. Juggy Sihota, vice-president of consumer health at Telus, said in an emailed statement that the company is "currently engaged with other provincial governments to roll out this virtual care solution which we hope to do towards the end of the year." In the meantime, B.C. residents “will be the first to get access to the app’s one-on-one video consultation feature, allowing them to speak directly and privately with a BC-licensed family doctor from anywhere,” Telus said in a press release. It added the video consultation would be covered by B.C. provincial health insurance. The app also includes an AI-based chatbot Telus said “draws on more than 500 million streams of medical knowledge and asks patients questions about their symptoms providing information on possible causes or courses of action.” A French version of that service will launch later this year. The app will also allow users to book doctor’s appointments, access doctor consultation notes, manage details of their prescriptions, and obtain referrals for tests or specialists. It’s the newest addition to a range of healthcare offerings from Telus’ health division launched in recent years, including medication management, a communication service for doctors, and a health app for infants. The company plans to integrate the Babylon platform into Telus’ electronic health electronic medical records systems, it said. The release said the app “meets or exceeds legal and industry standards for privacy,” and that patient data is “securely transmitted using industry-recognized encryption methods.”

Telus health app to offer video doctor appointments, AI advice

Brief | March 5, 2019

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Telus health app to offer video doctor appointments, AI advice

Brief | March 5, 2019

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