Provider

The HIMSS Media editors discuss government and healthcare-organization response to the coronavirus, including chatbot services, drive-through testing sites and social-media monitoring.

First announced by President Trump on Friday as a nationwide resource, the testing-referral service already seems to have reached its capacity among California's Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

In the first episode of The Alessi Agenda, Kevin Fenton, director of public health and wellbeing at Southwark, talks about how new technologies can help healthcare both build upon its existing infrastructure and evolve as patient needs change.

The development comes as officials advise GPs to switch, where possible, to remote consultations as part of their response to the threats posed by the coronavirus.

Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, chief clinical officer for Providence St. Joseph Health, talks about the use of chatbots, telemedicine and drive-thru clinics in treating the virus. 

Also: Consumer survey suggests declining digital health engagement; Iran's COVID-19 app pulled from Play Store after malware accusations.

Mubadala Investment VP Omar Fikree is working toward collaborating with a number of reputable regulators to map the digital future.

The company plans to roll out a corresponding app this Spring.   

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the US, healthcare providers and industry experts take to Twitter to dispel myths. 

The crisis is opening up new opportunities for health and tech, but it is also bringing new challenges.