Everyone knows the breakthrough covered by AI-powered Virtual Assistants so far. Saying that the growth acceleration of text or voice-based interfaces in many businesses including healthcare has been extremely fast.
A lot of medical experts believes that the AI-powered Virtual Assistants will lessen the burden on doctors in primary care and assist patients to learn to take care of their health.
Stuff like chatbots and smart algorithms are becoming more and more popular and widespread with the ability to start a conversation through auditory or textual methods. Surprisingly, some chatbots are surpassing into the territory of humans with empathy and feelings.
Raised €1.8 million!
WeFight is a French startup, and a winner of the EIT Health France Innovation Journey pitch contest, has developed a virtual assistant to help cancer and chronic diseases patients. The clients are hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and insurers.
In the recent development, the company has raised €1.8 million from Investir&+ and the Angels Santé, Badge and Melies Business Angels networks. With this funding, Wefight plans to accelerate the development of its virtual companion ‘Vik’ in more than 30 diseases by 2020.
Meet Vik!
Founded in 2017 by Benoît Brouard and Pierre Nectoux, the French startup has developed a virtual companion called Vik. This virtual assistant listens to patients, supports them, allows them to share their experience and provides them with daily help to participate in their empowerment.
Contents written by health professionals!
Vik discusses via text messages with patients to provide advice and recommendations or their pathology. Available through instant messaging, web-based or SMS, its contents are written by health professionals.
Aims to prevent relapses and empower patients!
Through Vik, the startup aims to empower patients and prevent relapses. According to the company, Vik is available for several diseases: breast cancer, asthma, migraine and depression.
Integration of the virtual companion like Vik increases the efficiency of healthcare teams by saving more time for caregivers to support the most complex patient. Furthermore, the company is also planning to export its platform to the European and North American market.
Benoît Brouard and Pierre Nectoux at FrenchWeb last year, said:
A patient who understands his illness and is adherent to his treatment will havw fewer relapses and complications. This is the principle of therapeutic education but applied in an interactive, personalized and large-scale way.
Chatbots in future!
The basic idea behind this virtual companion is such that, these chatbots or virtual companions might become the first point of contact for primary care. This indeed shows the bright future chatbot has in healthcare. Additionally, it demonstrates a broader scope where they can lend a helping hand to both patients and physicians.
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