April 18, 2019 – Atrium Health patients will now be able to use Amazon’s electronic voice system Alexa to not only locate the nearest urgent care and emergency department, but now will be able to reserve a spot at an urgent care location as well.
Once the Atrium Health skill is enabled on their Alexa device, patients just need to say, “Alexa, open Atrium Health.” Alexa will respond and guide a patient through the process of reserving a spot at one of Atrium Health’s 31 urgent care locations. Patients can also get wait times at urgent cares or emergency room facilities, as well as phone numbers or urgent care hours.
Providing this skill through voice technology is part of Atrium Health’s commitment to making healthcare easier to access and manage, according to the health system. Atrium Health is one of a few healthcare providers in the nation with Alexa “skills.”
“Our goal at Atrium Health is to provide our patients with the best care when and where they need it,” said Rasu Shrestha, M.D., MBA, EVP and chief strategy officer at Atrium Health.“Voice is an interactive technology that our patients are already using in many aspects of their lives. The use of this exciting technology is part of our commitment at Atrium Health to provide access to care in a way that is most convenient for them.”
Watch the VIDEO: Artificial Intelligence in Radiology — Are We Doomed?, an interview with Shrestha
Over the last several years, Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) has provided new, easier ways to access care, from live video visits, to eVisits answered within hours, online scheduling for doctors’ and urgent care visits, and the MyAtriumHealth portal, which provides patients with their doctors’ notes and lab and test results. Atrium Health has also used virtual care technology to increase access to behavioral health services, as well as improved access to clinical services such as the latest cardiac imaging and early cancer clinical trials.
For more information: www.atriumhealth.org
Related Content
Smart Speaker Technology Harnessed for Hospital Medical Treatments
May 16, 2024 
