Babylon announced the integration of its AI-powered Symptom Checker technology into Higi’s mobile application, opening a new channel for proactive self-care health engagement for Higi’s thousands of U.S. app users.
The integration follows Babylon’s recent acquisition of Higi, whose platform and consumer reach is enabling Babylon to extend its highly scalable technology platform and digital-first healthcare solutions to Higi platform users.
Why does it matter?
The integration brings Babylon’s Symptom Checker, which allows consumers to better understand the symptoms they are experiencing through an interactive, AI-powered chat interface, directly into the Higi mobile app. By helping to narrow down the potential causes of their symptoms, users can learn possible next steps from a trusted health resource. Higi platform users now benefit from this enhancement to the free Higi App, which additionally provides a means to track and trend their personal body measurement information, receive health tips, browse and join Higi and partner health engagement programs and easily log in to a Higi Station session.
This integration also serves as a model for current and future Babylon partners who can bring Babylon’s technology assets into their own native platforms, providing additional value to their patients and members.
On the record
“The integration with Higi is the first opportunity for established platform users to begin to experience Babylon technology” says Ali Parsa, CEO and Founder at Babylon. “Pairing the Symptom Checker, which focuses more on providing information for the immediate health needs of consumers, with Higi’s longer term view into a patient’s health through risk testing and longitudinal biometric tracking, is a first step toward adding additional tools to the consumer’s toolkit that empower them to address their health needs proactively and holistically.”
“There is a wealth of knowledge we can provide to consumers when it comes to their health,” shared Jeff Bennett, CEO at Higi. “The Symptom Checker is an incredible resource for our users, helps them begin to see the benefit Babylon technology will add to our platform, and creates new opportunities for Higi to better service our partners with value-add solutions that enhance the consumer experience and connect consumers back to the care they may need.”
The context
Founded in 2013, Babylon’s technology and clinical services is supporting a global patient network across 15 countries, and is capable of operating in 16 languages. And through a combination of its value-based care model, Babylon 360, and its work in primary care through NHS GP at Hand, Babylon managed over 440k lives globally from the start of 2022. In 2021 alone, Babylon helped a patient every 6 seconds, with approximately 5.2 million consultations and AI interactions. Importantly, this was achieved with a 93% user retention rate and 4 or 5 star ratings from more than 95% of Babylon’s users.
On the other hand, Higi is a consumer health engagement company making it easier for all people to measure, track and act on their health data by bridging physical and digital touch points of the healthcare ecosystem. In service of health systems, health plans, retailers and consumer healthcare brands, Higi’s omni-channel platform meets consumers in their communities, at home and on the go. The company’s partners connect with the consumers they care for through Higi’s nationwide network of thousands of FDA-cleared, free-to-use self-screening Smart Health Stations, home health devices, digital and mobile tools.