"Wellness Check": Alexa health & wellness life hack

#AmazonAlexaLifeHacksChallenge Wellness Check, an Amazon Alexa Skill, is a voice decision-tree to empower people via voice to make informed, timely wellness decisions. With yes-no questions, it helps people learn what to look for in wellness symptoms. In general, symptoms alone are not enough to diagnose a medical disorder, but can be useful as "clues" to possible underlying conditions. Knowing what to look for in symptoms is an important life skill for people to make an informed decision in time of need. Today's situation is rather enigmatic. On one hand, there is a wealth of information for general public in printed and online sources on how to identify clues to symptoms. Supposedly anyone can access and use such information, anywhere, anytime. But on the other hand, most health resources online and prints require tedious reading and deciphering medical jargon, to find and understand the relevant information. Literacy and accessibility issues in healthcare are serious problems, and have been preventing us from making informed decisions at the time when we need it. *Wellness Check helps to solve the problem by using voice user interaction and public health information.* With a few yes-no questions, Wellness Check brings out possible signs for a wellness condition, and **offers the user a compelling reason to talk to a doctor**. This is better than giving a medical advice. It's safer and quicker, and promotes better doctor-patient relationship. The precise, pertinent information about your condition helps your doctor help you better. A quick access via voice empowers people to make an informed decision to make use of professional services effectively. For example, let's say you've been feeling a little down for a few days. Most people would think _"it's nothing, I'll just tough it out"_. This is common, but not a well educated decision. You could look it up online or reference books, but who has the time and resource? You would want to email your doctor for an advice, but you hesitate because you don't know what to say or how to ask. Instead, wouldn't it be nice if you could just say "**Alexa, ask Wellness Check for feeling under the weather**"? Alexa would ask you a few yes-no questions, and bring out some possible signs pertinent to your condition. You could then make a more informed decision, for example, you call an advice nurse or email your doctor for an advice with your specific signs and condition. Nurses and doctors can help you better with precise, accurate information. Awareness and knowledge are the key to better wellness. Voice user interaction brings a new opportunity to better future healthcare. Three design guidelines dictate what Wellness Check does and doesn’t. 1. No medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment shall be provided by Wellness Check. 2. No personally identifiable information shall be used or collected by Wellness Check. 3. Wellness Check shall only use general public information for accuracy and integrity of the content. To meet the three design guidelines, the decision trees are adopted from published reference for medical accuracy, and the textual content is completely revised for safe, anonymous access to educational information. *Important disclaimer: This tool does not provide medical advice, and is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Call your doctor to receive medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please dial your local emergency response phone number.