Health System Uses AI Virtual Assistant to Improve COVID-19 Screenings

GYANT, a patient connection and relationship management company, recently announced a new virtual assistant solution specifically designed for health systems to offer an accessible COVID-19 screening assistant to patients. The solution, COVID-19 Emergency Response Assistant, offers screening and care navigation support as well as patient education on symptoms, prevention, and preparedness.

With thousands of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, hospitals and health systems are working tirelessly to care for patients and limit the spread of the disease. GYANT’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Assistant screens for COVID-19 symptoms and risk factors, as well as directs patients to the appropriate resources and care settings. The solution also provides general information on symptoms and answers common questions about COVID-19, providing relief for overburdened call center and front desk resources.

“As a steward in the health care community, it is important for us to consider the needs of our industry, including our clients and their patients, at all times, particularly in extraneous circumstances,” says Stefan Behrens, chief operating officer and cofounder of GYANT. “Obviously, these enhancements were not on our product roadmap, nor were they scoped with any client, but as a leading source of health information for patients and consumers, we considered it critical to incorporate COVID-19 into our medical protocols.”

Illinois-based OSF HealthCare (OSF) is already deploying the COVID-19 solution to help patients better understand their risk for contracting the virus and help them navigate to the appropriate type of care based on their symptoms. OSF first implemented GYANT’s Digital Front Door solution in December 2019, serving patients across Illinois and Michigan where OSF operates 147 locations, including 14 hospitals. OSF originally partnered with GYANT to create a better digital health experience for patients, an aspect of care that is seeing increased utilization due to COVID-19.

“We are always looking for ways to better serve our patients and offer more personalized engagements. Our patients want the ability to communicate with us virtually, and this has only heightened with the spread of COVID-19,” says Jennifer Junis, senior vice president of Saint Gabriel Digital Health at OSF HealthCare. “With GYANT, we created Clare, a friendly and informative virtual assistant that supports patients before and during their care journey. This level of connectivity is critical in times of health care crisis.”

Usage rates of the virtual assistant, Clare, have significantly increased since adding GYANT’s COVID-19 solution. Clare had 14,000 interactions about COVID-19 in the first two days since her coronavirus update.

In addition, 85% of patients using Clare report a positive experience.

The COVID-19 Emergency Response Assistant will continuously update based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

— Source: GYANT