As discussed in a previous LucidQuest article, smart speakers have been used to remind patients to take their medication or as a tool to reorder a request for a prescription refill. With regards to voice apps in healthcare, smart speakers or smartphones aren’t just limited to reminders.
Aiva’s voice platform empowers patients, the elderly, and staff.
The Los Angeles-based startup Aiva has taken this further. Its virtual health assistant offers a voice-powered care assistant for hospital patient rooms and senior living communities turning rooms into smart rooms and allowing hands-free control of the appliances.
It enables voice control over lighting, temperature, shades, and TV. It also allows the patients to easily communicate with the nurses’ station to ask for help. The Aiva platform is easy-to-use for elderly people as it doesn’t require either dexterous hands or good vision to manipulate a touch screen. And as the smart speaker stays in its dock, there is no issue with misplacing handsets.
For all the above reasons, Aiva has been selected to participate in Amazon’s first healthcare accelerator program, which helps incubate early-stage digital health companies that can join forces with the tech giant’s healthcare customers and partners.
More voice apps capabilities on the spot.
Meanwhile, other companies and researchers make the most out of the capabilities of voice apps. Vocal patterns can generate much information about a person. A voice’s pitch, rhythm, and volume can aid HCPs in diagnosing various conditions in less invasive ways. Researchers are looking into using speech markers to diagnose PTSD and machine learning to diagnose Parkinson’s disease from voice recordings. A faster, cheaper diagnostic tool for Parkinson’s disease is essential as the disease cannot be diagnosed through standardized blood tests.
Also, researchers are looking into
- voice-activated technology to improve mobility & reduce health disparities (EngAGE)
- improving the efficacy of voice therapy concepts via telepractice and mobile app technology
- and voice analysis technology to detect and manage depression and anxiety in cardiac rehabilitation.
Let’s talk asthma. Smart asthma system prevents flare-ups.
Smart Respiratory Products Ltd is working on a new project to find out whether changes in everyday speech can signal the worsening of asthma. They will collect and analyze for any changes in voice quality voice staples from asthma patients as their asthma gets better or worse. Then they will compare their findings against changes in lung function and asthma symptoms to determine which changes in voice quality, if any, indicate a change in asthma control.
Will voice apps reshape healthcare?
Researchers are finding diverse uses for voice apps, and these trials highlight the potential of smart speakers and voice apps.
Combining a voice app with telehealth sessions also benefits patients who suffer from white coat response or those who are more likely to freely talk to their health care provider from the comfort of their own home.
We may even be very close to seeing smart speakers in the doctor’s office alongside the stethoscope. Who knows?
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