Amazon Alexa for healthcare, but it will take some time before being used to call a doctor

Amazon Alexa for healthcare, but it will take some time before being used to call a doctor

If you want to make an appointment with a doctor or check the contraindications of a drug without picking up the phone, Amazon Alexa can help you.

The voice assistant is HIPAA compliant, which means that Amazon can work with hospitals and other health care providers that manage protective health data to share personal information about an echo.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) expanded HIPAA standards in 2009. HIPAA and HITECH together establish a set of federal standards aimed at protecting the security and privacy of protected health information. These provisions are included in what are called "administrative simplification" rules. HIPAA and HITECH impose requirements related to the use and disclosure of protected health information, security measures to protect that information, individual rights and administrative responsibilities.

But what users still can't do is connect with a doctor or therapist through the device , and it may take a few years before they can do it. Currently, Amazon is working with applications on an invitation-only basis, and none of the top six developers connect patients with doctors.

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Developers focused on digital health have concerns about using home speakers such as Echo and Google Home for medical consultations, because privacy issues continue to emerge and there is a risk that sensitive health information will end up in the wrong hands . Bloomberg reported that thousands of employees listen to bits and pieces of conversations about Alexa to improve the product experience.

"It's complicated," said Robbie Cape , CEO of 98point6, a Seattle-based company that provides virtual medical advice via smartphone and the web. "To maintain user confidence, I can imagine that Amazon Alexa would need to confirm that they are talking to the right person, but also that there is no one else in the room listening to the conversation."

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The Cape team, which includes former Amazon and Microsoft employees, has reflected on whether 98point6 technology should be available through voice assistants, but they are still not moving forward with any plans.

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Talkspace CEO Oren Frank also assessed how to integrate his virtual therapy app with voice technologies, including Alexa but said he is reluctant to trust it because it is critical that its users know that their personal information is locked securely.

"I give Amazon the benefit of the doubt but I also realize that they are new to providing health care services," said Frank. Still, Frank, echoing a sentiment shared by many in the healthcare sector, said that voice technology is "an extremely convenient mode of communication and that will take over in the near future".

For now, Amazon is focusing more on things like coaching and nutrition tools to help users find nearby health services. These are areas that involve less liability or abuse potential, legal experts told CNBC.

"It seems to me that they are doing it right," said David Schoolcraft , a Seattle attorney at Ogden Murphy Wallace, who specializes in information technology on privacy and healthcare. "Something like finding a place for urgent care or a follow-up is more generic and not likely to cause harm."

In the meantime, Amazon is working on technologies that could improve privacy in the future. For example, the company is developing better skills to identify specific voices within a family and is developing headsets that are integrated with Alexa , which would allow users to prevent other people around them from listening to the conversation.

"For Amazon, this will be a long-term process that requires ongoing monitoring and training and education," said Schoolcraft.