Healthcare app from Telus and Babylon brings the doctor to your smartphone

In Vancouver yesterday, Telus Health (the healthcare division of national telco Telus) and British digital healthcare provider Babylon Health announced the launch of Babylon by Telus Health, an virtual healthcare app that will allow users to do things like check symptoms and talk to a doctor on their smartphones.

According to Telus, more than 50 per cent of Canadians have a hard time finding after-hours health care without visiting an emergency room. With a focus on servicing people in rural communities, people with mobility issues and the five million Canadians without a family doctor, the mobile app’s video consultation feature gives patients virtual facetime with with fully licensed doctors.

While the video chat feature will only be available to B.C. residents at launch, (which is still to be determined), the app’s AI-driven ‘Symptom Checker’ will be available for everyone. The feature, which was created with the help of doctors, allows users to answer a series of questions with a chat bot to help them determine causes or treatment options.

Additionally, the app will allow patients to manage their prescriptions, request referrals to specialists and give patients access to their treatment history and doctor’s notes.

“Together, we are not only helping to improve the options Canadians have for accessing healthcare, but also providing them with a digital tool that makes communicating with healthcare professionals more efficient,” said Juggy Sihota, vice president, Telus Health.

The app will be available on iOS and Android, and in English, with a French version to be released later this year.

Would you recommend this article?

Share

Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think of this article!
We'd love to hear your opinion about this or any other story you read in our publication.


Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Featured Download

Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolmhttps://www.itbusiness.ca
Derek Malcolm is a writer, editor and content specialist based in Toronto. He has been covering the world of consumer technology for more than 18 years, and is the former Editor-in-Chief of Connected.rogers.com. Follow him on Instagram @derekgmalcolm or Twitter @derekmalcolm

Featured Story

How the CTO can Maintain Cloud Momentum Across the Enterprise

Embracing cloud is easy for some individuals. But embedding widespread cloud adoption at the enterprise level is...

Related Tech News

Get ITBusiness Delivered

Our experienced team of journalists brings you engaging content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives delivered directly to your inbox.

Featured Tech Jobs