Virtual assistants like Amazon's Alexa could change the way healthcare is delivered, giving medical advice and looking up and reciting clinical information, according to an article on the Modern Healthcare website.

Pilot programs, run by hospitals, are in place so patients can ask Alexa questions about their health and providers can ask the digital assistant questions about protocols and other clinical information, the article said.

Healthcare facilities are looking to reduce their administrative burden through the use of artificial intelligence-driven virtual assistants.

“One of the big challenges in any population is getting patients engaged in their own care through digital experiences,” Nathan Treloar, president and chief operating officer of software company Orbita, said in the article. Those experiences might include a patient asking for a ride to a doctor appointment.

Read the article.