In an experimental trial, the National Health Service across parts of London is going to test an artificial intelligence app as a way for potential patients to find out how urgent their problems are.
More than 1.2 million people living in Camden, Islington, Enfield and Barnet will be able to use a chatbot created by Babylon as an alternative to the non-emergency 111 number.
The trial, which will run for six months, will allow people to enter their symptoms into the app and receive responses based on what they have entered. When the app is looking for answers to the questions it will consult a large database of symptoms and illnesses.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the app's algorithm will "judge the urgency" of a person's condition and then advise the patient what to do next.
"Babylon’s AI technology can process billions of symptom combinations much faster and more accurately than the human brain," the company says in a brochure on how it works with the NHS.
Babylon, named in WIRED's 2016 of hottest startups and appeared at a previous WIRED Health conference, has previously focused its efforts on virtual GP appointments. Founded by Dr Ali Parsa, the company has allowed patients to get GP referrals and appointments through its app that connects people directly to doctors.
In January 2016, the company raised $25 million (£20m), led by Investment AB Kinnevik, to further develop its platform and has backing from the founder of Google's DeepMind. "In an academic study, Babylon's [symptom checker] outperforms a doctor or a nurse when it comes to triage," the company said in September 2016.
The new trial with the NHS is intended to reduce the pressures put on the 111 non-emergency service. Since its launch, the telephone number, which is often staffed by non-medically trained staff, has faced growing criticism. Reports have claimed the service has been understaffed and access to medical staff is not always possible. In 2013, MPs said they would investigate the 111 service.
The NHS told the Financial Times the trial would be assessed on a "variety of means" – including the number of people who use it, their experiences and any impact on NHS services.
Babylon believes its app can help to solve some of the problems. The chatbot will deal with “urgent but non-life-threatening conditions”. Staff from Babylon have said they believe the NHS-approved app will help the organisation save money as the process of interacting with the bot takes around 12 messages and is quicker than speaking to a human on the phone.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
