Our society has gone from having information at your fingertips to now commanding it with your voice.
Paramedics can now use Amazon Echos inside ambulances.
"Alexa, tell me about congestive heart failure and the parameters for medications and it will access the information that are statewide treatment protocols and then verbally give you the entire protocol," Chris DiBona, the director of clinical performance Brewster Ambulance Service, said.
It's the next step paramedics with Brewster, which serves hospitals in the greater Boston area, will take working towards doing away with computers and cell phones: replacing them by using the Alexa voice command.
"It allows you to still work, non-contaminate, and it doesn't look like you're taking your focus away from the patient," DiBona said.
Their vehicles are already WiFi hot spots, which helps getting information on the spot.
"This device will give us weather information, traffic information, information about trauma centers, hospitals, destinations. It's essentially an all-in-one resource for you," DiBona said.
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The idea that Alexa could be listening to what's going on during your ride to he hospital may sound illegal but, according to DiBona, no HIPPA laws will be broken.
"We're not accessing a portal which brings up past medical history or medications associated with the patient," he said. "This is just general information that is available through our state websites and publications that are normally released to us."
Developers are still working out some kinks with the technology, but the company hopes to have the devices up and running in two months.
