Dubai - Developed by Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, Leo and Mira are web-based chatbots.
Published: Mon 1 Apr 2019, 8:00 PM
Last updated: Tue 2 Apr 2019, 4:07 PM
Meet Leo and Mira, the latest virtual health assistants launched on Monday (April 1) by a Dubai-based network of hospitals and clinics. They are tasked to help patients manage their medical appointments online 24/7.
Developed by Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, Leo and Mira are web-based chatbots. A chatbot is an interactive tool that uses artificial intelligence to conduct a conversation via auditory or textual means.
KT's conversation with Leo
Step 1: Log on to www.medcare.ae
Step 2: Choose whether to talk to Leo and Mira. We chose Leo.
First, Leo introduced himself as Virtual Medcare Assistant and asked: "How are you feeling today?
After telling him we're not well, he immediately replied: "Oh no! I do hope you feel better soon. Let's not waste time then, and try to get to the root of your problem!"
Then, Leo asked for our basic info - gender and age, and continued: "Could you please select the affected body part?"
He also asked for the symptoms, severity of condition, frequency of pain and, in a second, offered his "calculation" of the problem and offered one of the specialisations and a list of doctors.
While doing his "calculations", which happens in just a fraction of second, Leo also offered some quick health tips, such as how nuts may lower cholesterol and inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and more; or why dark chocolate is a powerful source of antioxidants that can help regulate blood pressure and also improve brain function.
After choosing the doctor, the nearest medical centre and other information, including patient, the appointment is set.
All these are done in under one minute.
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Leo and Mira, who communicate via textual means, are not designed to diagnose a person, but their mission is to guide people and assist them in finding a healthcare professional. This saves the patient's time in booking an appointment and looking for the nearest medical centre, while also allowing hospitals to interact with their clients round the clock.
"The virtual health assistants are the first and only chatbots in the region that allow the patient to manage all the aspects of their appointments online, including booking, rescheduling and cancelling," according to Medcare.
"Aside from booking an appointment, Leo and Mira's advanced algorithm will also enable patients to check and analyse their symptoms and match them with the relevant doctor," explained Andre Daoud, group CEO of Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, while demonstrating how to interact with Leo and Mira.
"Patients can also see lab reports online, check their insurance coverage, and locate the nearest Medcare centre to ultimately optimise the patients' journey so they can receive timely treatment," he added.
Leo and Mira, whose names were given by Medcare clients through a competition, are also in line with the 'Smart Dubai 2021' strategy aimed at the digital transformation of the city.
The introduction of Leo and Mira is spurred by a research conducted by Medcare, where 41 per cent of its patients indicated the need for an end-to-end online solution to enable them to take control of their personal healthcare journey.
Alisha Moopen, executive director and CEO, Aster and Medcare Hospitals and Clinics, GCC, said: "Getting to a doctor when you are sick is a stressful experience. When you add to the experience having to call a centre to schedule an appointment, it's very frustrating."
"We try to put ourselves in the shoes of our patients and to create a system that will make life a bit easier for them in this fast-paced world. The advantage with chatbot technology is the ability to combine both human and artificial intelligence to transform customer service, providing an overall seamless experience with optimised productivity and outcome," she added.
There is still a human team that serves as a back-up for Leo and Mira, in case the duo is not able to answer customer inquiries.
Medcare said Leo and Mira will be being continually optimised to improve their communication skills and their service.
"Based on their conversations with the patients, and through AI, they may be able to crack some jokes with the patients in the future," Daoud told Khaleej Times.
Get to know other chatbots employed in UAE
Several government agencies and companies in Dubai have employed chatbots - also known as "conversational agents" - to communicate with their clients online - and all the time.
Rammas, the virtual assistant of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, is the first chatbot for a government organisation, launched in 2017. Rammas can converse both in Arabic and English and is available on iOS, Android, Dewa's website and Facebook page, as well as Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority also has a chatbot named Mahboub, who can answer any question related to Metro, Tram and marine transport timings; Nol cards; plan journeys and get information on taxis and public buses; and any other relevant transport and mobility inquiries.
Meanwhile, UAE telecom company du has Blu, and Emirates NBD has Eva, which can guide their customers.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
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