Amazon Echo could soon offer virtual doctor appointments
Amazon has their hands in just about everything these days. When they’re not building flying delivery drones, or cameras that give you actual fashion advice, Amazon has been busy toiling away on their next big venture: healthcare.
According to CNBC, Amazon has a secret skunkworks lab called 1492 (the year Columbus landed in the Americas) dedicated to all sorts of healthcare technology. The team is allegedly working on everything from an electronic medical records platform, to “telemedicine,” virtual doctors visits, and health apps for devices like Amazon Echo.
Amazon has been on a roll with with various hardware products. With devices like the Amazon Echo Show or the Amazon Echo Look, it’s easy to see how 1492 could further enhance these products with a slew of health information. Whether that’s providing consumers — or doctors — with medical records quickly and easily, or even allowing doctors to check up on patients without leaving the house, video conferencing using something like the Echo Show, or some new health-focused gadget Amazon could be working on.
Amazon’s interest in healthcare doesn’t stop with 1492. It was recently revealed that they had a unit dedicated entirely to selling pharmaceuticals, so this is only the tip of the iceberg. Anyone out there think virtual doctor’s visits could be helpful?