Amazon acquires symptom triaging platform Health Navigator

Amazon has made another play into the digital health space after acquiring symptom-checking and triaging platform Health Navigator.

Health Navigator will join Amazon’s new Amazon Care Group, a digital health clinic for employees launched by the company in September, reports CNBC.

It’s the second digital health acquisition by Amazon, which snapped up automated pharmacy company PillPack in June 2018 for an estimated £760 million ($1bn).

The financial value of its acquisition of Health Navigator was not disclosed.

Health Navigator provides triaging technology that can be integrated into other digital health companies’ symptom-checking services.

Despite sharing the same name, it is unrelated to the predictive analytics platform used by NHS organisations to target patients with health coaching.

Amazon Care will offer employees a variety of both digital and face-to-face health services, including video consultations, referrals and medication prescriptions and home visits by health practitioners.

Announced in February 2018, the venture is the result of a partnership struck between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and US banking giant JP Morgan Chase.

Targeting workers in the US, Amazon Care aims to address “profit-making incentives” in the current healthcare system with the promise of providing more affordable and accessible medical care.

Amazon said the business would focus on “technology solutions that will provide US employees and their families with simplified, high-quality and transparent healthcare at a reasonable cost.”

Apple is also due to open its own dedicated healthcare clinics for employees, monikered AC Wellness.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced a partnership with the NHS to bring verified health information to people’s homes via its voice-activated Alexa speaker.