Quest Diagnostics is launching a chatbot tailored for laboratory test results as it seeks to allow patients the ability to come to terms with their findings and perform deeper dives on their own health.
The Quest AI Companion can probe data from patients’ labs for up to five years in order “to help explain results and uncover potential health risks,” according to a March 2 statement.
The idea forms part of a push for the democratization of healthcare, which allows patients the capacity to be more involved in their care. Lab results such as blood tests typically fit within certain reference ranges and can climb or fall, dependent on several factors that could indicate disease, or normal rhythms, for each user.
This can, however, be confusing for many patients and even alarming in some circumstances.
By using a mobile app and patient portal called MyQuest, “adult users can prompt the tool to define test names and medical terminology from their results reports, as well as translate the meaning of lab values, such as high, low, or within a reference range,” Quest explained in a release.
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But, more than that, users can ask the AI Companion to help ask their doctors questions about any trends or concerns they may have seen, “empowering patients to have more informed conversations with clinicians,” Quest said.
The diagnostics company was keen to stress that this is “not a substitute for professional medical advice or visits to a healthcare provider” and is for “educational purposes only.”
The new AI system is powered by Google’s Gemini family of models and comes via Quest’s team-up a year ago with Google Cloud.
“Patients often tell us they want help simplifying and understanding their test results and what the results communicate about their health,” Nicole Antonson, vice president of digital solutions and interoperability at Quest, said in a statement.
“Now, Quest AI Companion builds on this history and empowers patients to analyze their results and spot trends they can discuss with their healthcare provider, for smarter and simpler testing that illuminates a path to better health,” Antonson added.