Four UK health charities are coming together with Reason Digital, to see how artificial intelligence can help support people with long-term health conditions.
Parkinson’s UK, the Stroke Association, Muscular Dystrophy UK and the MS Society are working with the Manchester agency to develop the UK’s first AI coaching tool.
The Digital Health Assistant (DHA) will use machine learning to develop an understanding of the person being supported. It will adapt to their needs over time, based on interactions.
“Understandably there’s a lot of fear around the implications of AI for society. The reality is that whether it empowers us or oppresses us simply depends on who’s using it. That’s why with DHA, we’re putting the power of AI in the hands of people who need support for their long-term health conditions,” explained Matt Haworth, Co-Founder of Reason Digital.
“Diagnosis of a serious health condition such as Parkinson’s, Muscular Dystrophy or multiple sclerosis, or experiencing a stroke, naturally generates an abundance of questions for the person receiving the news. Online research so often results in unanswered questions and out of date, generic information which just adds to the stress and anxiety of an individual’s situation. What people want is curated information and updates from a trusted source.”
Alison Butt, 52, a health visitor, who’s living with Parkinson’s has tested the assistant:
“I’ve found there’s an ongoing process of coming to terms with the condition. The DHA trial was a real eye-opener, I liked the idea of receiving weekly bite-sized tips and this influenced me to find new ways to slow the condition down.”
The tool has been designed to tackle key issues surrounding chronic conditions, including the lack of tailored and up to date information available for people who’ve recently been diagnosed, and staff shortages.
