“Alexa…,” “Hey Siri…,” “OK Google…,” “Hey Cortana…,” and “Hi Bixby….” These are the now-familiar “wake words” that we use to interact with our digital assistants and an ever-growing number of smart speakers. Chances are you have even interacted with one or more of these devices today. According to Allied Market Research, the smart speaker market is expected to reach $23.3 billion by 2025. A recent report states that last year’s smart speaker shipments reached 92 million.
Speech is one of the things that makes us human, and for most of us, our voices are our primary method of communication. In healthcare, we use our voices to describe our symptoms, ask questions, and seek advice.
Voice-user interfaces (VUI) and smart speaker technologies offer a new frontier for healthcare. But just what are these “smart speakers,” how do we interact with them, and what are the implications for managed care that guide us?
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Author
Chief Medical Director
Richard has focused his career on improving health outcomes, especially for some of the most vulnerable populations. This has been achieved through several avenues, beginning with his continued active role as a treating internist/geriatrician.…