(Photo Credit: abaltatech.com)

“Alexa, What Are The Symptoms Of The Flu

Britons can now ask Amazon Alexa questions like, “Alexa, what are the symptoms of strep throat?” and “Alexa, how do I treat a headache at home?” The National Health Service, Britain’s government-run health care system, recently teamed up with Amazon to offer health advice via Alexa.

The NHS hopes that providing free health advice through Alexa will alleviate some of the burdens on hospitals and doctors. The NHS says providing such advice via a home device like Alexa is a “world first.”

Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of Britain’s Royal College of GPs, says the service could be valuable for people treating minor medical issues at home. However, it is not a replacement for seeing an actual doctor, she said.

“[This collaboration] has the potential to help some patients work out what kind of care they need before considering whether to seek face-to-face medical help, especially for minor ailments,” Stokes-Lampard said. However, she added, it is “vital that independent research is done to ensure that the advice given is safe, otherwise it could prevent people seeking proper medical help and create even more pressure on our overstretched GP service.”

The service is only available in the United Kingdom, and nothing like it has come to the United States yet.