BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's first AI-empowered virtual patient companion was launched on June 28 on Alipay, the online payment platform under China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, according to an announcement by Shanghai General Hospital.
The virtual patient companion, jointly developed by the hospital and Alipay based on technologies such as large language model and digital humans, aims to provide hospital-goers with interactive companionship during medical services, including registration, consultation, queuing, and payment.
Compared with conventional intelligent medical assistants that often require typing to search for information, the AI-based patient companion proactively prompts patients on how to complete the next steps once they voice their questions. That is an elderly-friendly transformation.
In recent years, China's growing aging population and the deepening medical system reform have given rise to the new profession of patient companions, who are expected to meet patients' increasing demands for safe, affordable, and guided companionship during their visits to hospitals. (Edited by Su Dan with Xinhua Silk Road, sudan@xinhua.org)
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