Samsung has announced a partnership with digital healthcare provider Babylon, bringing a new feature called “Ask an Expert, powered by Babylon” for users of its health-related Samsung Health app in the U.K. The new service centers around making symptom checking and even live video doctor consultations available to the apps users within the country. It also incorporates and is based on Babylon’s existing framework, including its A.I. service. With that in place, the service – which launches on May 31 – should make it easier than ever to set appointments, manage prescriptions, and perform self-health checks at any given time.
First and foremost the new service appears to act as a way for users to get in touch with a real doctor, in real-time. Although that’s arguably nowhere near as good as seeing a doctor in a physical setting and some appointments will still require that, that gives users another option for seeking health advice quickly. Those video meetings are by appointment only but certified doctors are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Aside from medical advice, those doctors are also able to help users manage and even place orders for prescriptions through the service. That alone might make it worth the associated subscription cost since it’s often difficult to set aside time to meet with a doctor for new medications or adjustments to current meds. Pricing is set at either annually at £50 (€50) or per “appointment” at £25 (€25). Meanwhile, the service also provides a comprehensive symptom checker, providing information on common ailments before a doctor is even consulted.
Of course, it goes without saying that only those who are using an eligible Samsung device will have access to the service. Those include the company’s Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, S8, S8 Plus, Note8, S7, S7 Edge, S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge Plus, A8, A5, and A3 2017. It simply won’t be available on other handsets, for now, even for those that can install the latest Samsung Health app. In the meantime, those who may be interested in checking it out for themselves just need to update to the latest version of the Samsung Health app through either Galaxy Apps or the Play Store. It’s worth mention that it may take a few days for the rollout to complete, though.