Babylon, a UK start-up, is using artificial intelligence (AI) to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. While quite popular among users and undoubtedly a part of healthcare in the future, there have been some struggles regarding how it fits into the healthcare structure and some concerns about the advice the AI system has given patients.

1. To Make Healthcare
The Amazing Ways
Babylon Health
Is Using AI
Universally Accessible

2. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
Text
IntroductionIntroduction
Babylon, a UK start-up, plans to "put an accessible and affordable health service in the
hands of every person on earth" by putting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to work.
Currently, the company has operations in the UK and Rwanda and hopes to expand to
the Middle East, the United States, and China. The company's strategy is to combine the
power of AI with the medical expertise of humans to deliver unparalleled access to
healthcare.
The Amazing Ways Babylon Health Is Using AI
To Make Healthcare Universally Accessible

3. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Services Babylon Offers
Babylon's engineers, doctors, and scientists developed an AI system that can receive data
about the symptoms someone is suffering from, compare the information to a database of
known conditions and illnesses to find possible matches, and then identify a course of
action and related risk factors. People can use the "Ask Babylon" feature to inquire about
their medical concerns to get an initial understanding of what they might be dealing with,
but this service is not intended to replace the expertise of a doctor or be used in a medical
emergency.
In pursuit of its mission, Babylon offers a "talk to a doctor" service via its app, GP at Hand
that provides 24/7 access to healthcare professionals through video or audio
conferencing. The app can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store. At the
consultation, doctors can give medical advice, answer questions, discuss treatment, and
can order prescriptions that can be delivered to a patient's door. All of the patient's clinical
records are stored in a secure environment, and their health history can be accessed and
referenced when it's needed. If a patient needs to revisit their appointment, they can
review the medical notes and replay a recording of the appointment at any time.

4. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Services Babylon Offers
Another feature that is available on the app is Healthcheck. Built with the support of
doctors, scientists and disease experts, this AI tool can take answers from questions about
family history and a person's lifestyle and compare it to the medical database to then
create a health report and insights to help someone stay healthy.

5. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
GP at Hand App's Popularity
and Growing Pains
Even Matt Hancock, theUK health secretary, champions the GP at Hand app and more
than 51,000 people across London have downloaded it. The app operates through the
Hammersmith and Fulham clinical commissioning group, a National Health Service (NHS)
body for the area. In fact, the app hasten times more patients registered than the practice
it took over from. Since the clinical commissioning group (CCG) is required to pay for the
healthcare of all the patients registered on the app—even if they do not live in
Hammersmith and Fulham—the popularity of the app has pushed up the costs for the
CCG. In addition, the app has been criticized for attracting younger users, leaving
traditional practices shouldering the burden of higher costs for caring for an aging
population. The GP at Hand app and artificial intelligence technology is expected to
ultimately lower overall costs for NHS; however, the current situation of how to handle the
app's popularity straining one CCG and to determine how to fit the app into the NHS's
financial structure still need to be resolved.

6. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
GP at Hand App's Popularity
and Growing Pains
In other examples, it's clear that the GP at Hand app and the AI used to power its
recommendations needs to continue to train and get better. Some industry watchdogs
have pointed out that the chatbot doctor onGP at Hand misadvised action in a potentially
life-threatening situation that required immediate medical attention. More rigorous and
independent testing is still necessary before AI can be completely trusted with life or
death advice.
The start-up claims that in its own tests, the AI system was spot on80 percent of the time
and that the tool was never designed to completely replace the advice of a real doctor,
but actually to reduce waiting times and to help doctors make more accurate decisions.
The world is facing an extreme shortage of doctors and medical professionals, and tech
such as what Babylon offers is one way to help improve the healthcare of millions of
people.According to NHS England, "Each safety case [of Babylon] meets the standards
required by NHS and has been completed using a robust assessment methodology to a
high standard."

7. © 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
GP at Hand App's Popularity
and Growing Pains
While it might not be a perfect system, Babylon shows that artificial intelligence has
progressed enough to work alongside healthcare professionals and can be a beneficial
tool. But, patients still need to remain to be their own fierce healthcare advocates. If the
advice received from artificial intelligence doesn't seem to hit the mark, it's good advice to
request a second opinion—from a human.

8. © 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2019 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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