NHS

Exploring how smart speakers can make NHS services more accessible.

Sectors: Public Services. Year: 2024

We partnered with the NHS Innovation Lab to uncover opportunities for smart speakers. Could they make NHS services easier to access? Especially for people with disabilities?

Through rapid research and prototyping, we learnt the types of task voice technology would be useful for. We identified the benefits and challenges. And we created principles for designing useful conversations.

Outcomes

We learnt that voice technology could improve healthcare access in England for the:​

  • 8.5m people with low literacy​
  • 6.3m people with dyslexia​
  • 1m people with a tremor (and others with low mobility)​
  • 2m people with sight loss​
  • Just under 1m people who don’t read/write English fluently​

The problem to solve

A focus of the NHS Innovation Lab was to test new technologies. Smart speakers were becoming more commonplace, and they believed the tech could provide opportunities. They thought speakers could make it easier to interact with NHS services, particularly if people were disabled or digitally excluded. But they wanted to know if this was true.

The Lab also wanted to know what types of tasks would work well. And how could they make voice interactions easy, while ensuring they are secure and accessible?

What we did

Rapid research and prototyping

We formed a joint team with the NHS Innovation Lab. We began by speaking to people from a range of backgrounds and experiences. This included people with sight loss, mobility challenges.

The research helped us identify a set of potential tasks, such as ordering a repeat prescription. We designed conversations for these tasks, and then needed to prototype them.

But we didn’t waste time programming conversations for a smart speaker. Instead, a team member impersonated a voice assistant. They would listen to requests and follow a script. We got early feedback on the wording and we could quickly try alternative conversation designs.

How we prototyped our early conversation designs.

Finally we prototyped the conversations using an Alexa, to see if our designs worked with the real technology. For example, checking if it understood medical terms, and different accents.

Tasks that voice should be used for

We found tasks that work well with voice assistants were (1) quick, (2) easy, and (3) frequent:

  • Ordering repeat prescriptions
  • Asking for advice on symptoms
  • Guidance for long-term conditions
  • Booking GP appointments
  • Reminders
  • Emergency help

Importantly, these are not the sensitive topics that you would want to speak to a human about.

Joe: Alexa, order Sophie’s blue inhalers from the NHS

People can order for others they care for.<br /> Accepts nicknames for medications.

NHS: Sure Joe. What’s your PIN?

Joe: 4562

Uses voice recognition and a PIN to protect medical data. Also ensures medication doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.

NHS: OK. You want me to order a Salbutamol inhaler for Sophie. Is that correct?

Collects as much information as possible from the initial request, avoiding repetition.

Joe: Yes

NHS: Thanks. This order will go to Well Pharmacy on Claremont Terrace.

Remembers preferred pharmacy.

NHS: Do you want me to place this order and send it to this address?

Double checks for clinical safety.

Joe: Yes

NHS: Great, I’ve made that order and sent you a confirmation text.

SMS for reassurance, and for reference.

NHS: Some items you’ve ordered may need to be approved by a doctor. I’ll send you a text when your doctor has approved these.

NHS: I’ll also send you a text when your items are ready to collect.

Communication throughout the whole process.

NHS: If you’d like to add a note to your order, you can say ‘add note’.

Guidance for conversation design

We developed a set of tips for designing effective conversations.

For example, conversations should allow people to use nicknames for their medicine (my blue inhaler) because they may struggle to recall medical names (ventolyn).

We also created a plan for the work the NHS needs to do before rolling out voice assistant features. This included actions like exploring privacy on the different platforms (Alexa, Siri etc.), and testing with people who have a wider range of abilities and backgrounds.

Improved access to NHS services?

We found voice technology can help people, who might otherwise struggle, to access the NHS.

One man we interviewed was hard of hearing and partially blind. He couldn’t read letters sent by the NHS. And he couldn’t reach them using a phone or computer. He had to rely on his granddaughter to handle his NHS-related matters. But, he could use his smart speaker (if the volume was high). It was clear the technology could empower him to manage his own healthcare.

Outcomes

A clear result

This work has given the NHS a definitive answer. Voice technology does provide an opportunity by providing critical access to NHS services. 

In particular it could improve healthcare access to healthcare in England for:

8.5mpeople with low literacy​

6.3mpeople with dyslexia​

1mpeople with a tremor (and others with low mobility)

2mpeople with sight loss​

0.9mpeople who don’t read/write English fluently

Learn more about NHS

Amanda Payne

Reach out to Amanda Payne

Experience Strategy Director