Health Action Council has entered into a new partnership with Buoy Health to help individuals make more informed decisions about where to get the care best suited for their symptoms. The partnership draws on an artificial intelligence solution developed by Buoy Health, a digital health company that empowers people to manage their own healthcare.
Health Action Council’s Find the Right Care website will now include Buoy’s AI-powered chatbot Buoy Assistant, which gives users a personalized and more accurate view of their symptoms and then recommends the appropriate location for care, such as an urgent care center, a convenient care clinic or a primary care provider. The service will be free to the public.
“People have more places to receive care than ever before, but without fully understanding the options and how those options meet their needs, they often opt for the emergency room, which is costly and time-consuming,” said Patty Starr, President and CEO of Health Action Council. “Every time we get sick, we must weigh many factors in our care decisions, and this new technology will make it easier for us to make better decisions given our symptoms.”
Buoy’s artificial intelligence solution is based on algorithms that analyze thousands of real-world data-points, in order to resemble the dynamic and nuanced experience of chatting with a doctor. A user enters symptoms and answers questions to help Buoy get a holistic view of the case and calculates which illnesses are more likely. Buoy then shares its reasoning with the user and offers up personalized care recommendations for self-triaged care.
“When you’re sick, becoming a doctor and an insurance expert in real-time is extremely daunting, and navigating to the right in-network provider or the right telemedicine vendor when you’re feeling overwhelmed and confused isn’t ideal for anyone,” said Dr. Andrew Le, CEO of Buoy Health. “Our partnership with Health Action Council will bring Buoy Assistant to thousands of Americans, and in turn, improve their healthcare journey experience for the better.”
“Making smarter healthcare choices can save people a great deal of time and money while ensuring they get the care they need,” said Starr. “If they are not experiencing a life-threatening emergency, this technology will suggest options like a virtual visit or going to a local urgent care center. And at the same time, it will help free up critical ER resources for true emergencies.”
In addition to incorporating Buoy Assistant, findtherightcare.org will feature a 15%-off coupon to a CVS Minute Clinic for non-insured consumers to access.
About Health Action Council
Health Action Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization representing mid- and large-size employers that enhances human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration. It provides value to its members by facilitating projects that improve the quality and moderate the cost of healthcare purchased by its members for their employees, dependents, and retirees.
Health Action Council also collaborates with key stakeholders – health plans, physicians, hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry – to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the community.
About Buoy Health
Buoy is a digital health company developed out of the Harvard Innovation Labs by a team of doctors and data-scientists, aimed at providing personalized clinical support through technology to individuals the moment they have a healthcare concern. Buoy helps remove the fear and complexity that often confronts patients as they enter the system by navigating and engaging patients intelligently. The all-on-one technology is able to deliver triage at scale with transparency and in a way that can be adopted seamlessly within the healthcare system.