Springfield, Ill.-based Memorial Health System deployed a digital assistant on March 19 to evaluate patients' risk of contracting COVID-19, local NBC affiliate WAND-17 reports.
The chatbot, named AnneSarah, performs a risk assessment based on disease criteria from the CDC. If a patient is found to have a heightened risk of contracting COVID-19, AnneSarah guides them to the appropriate resources for further treatment.
"Our online tool is another way we want to help the public determine their risk for COVID-19 while allowing them to stay safe in their own homes," Jay Roszhart, president of Memorial Health System Ambulatory Group, told WAND-17.
The chatbot's launch comes just one day after the health system announced it is waiving the typical $40 fee for its MemorialNow app-based virtual care services. The 24/7 telehealth service is now available for free for all central Illinois residents, regardless of insurance status or if they are existing Memorial patients, WAND-17 reports.