The Symptom Checker is designed to help users better understand their worrying symptoms and direct them to seek advice from healthcare professionals.
In effort to help Filipinos proactively manage their health and wellbeing during the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown period, Pru Life UK’s free health management app, Pulse, offers cutting edge AI-powered health technologies that provide users with access to real-time health information wherever they are, round the clock.
One of Pulse’s main features, Symptom Checker, is an AI-driven tool powered by UK-based healthcare technology and services company Babylon. Made accessible to Pulse users through the partnership between Pru Life UK’s parent company Prudential and Babylon, the Symptom Checker acts as a gateway for users when seeking care. It is designed to help users better understand their worrying symptoms and direct them to seek advice from healthcare professionals. To ensure the Symptom Checker is a useful tool for people to explore their health, local doctors and translators work together with a team of epidemiologists, engineers and data scientists to build a version that is clinically validated and attuned to the Philippines.
“Pru Life UK is proud to provide these smart digital self-help tools to help users understand their health better and empower them to make more informed health decisions. We encourage Filipinos to use Pulse to prevent, postpone, and protect themselves against the onset of diseases,” says Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga.
The Symptom Checker tool can be easily navigated in the health tab of the Pulse app. Users can enter their symptoms and answer questions via a chatbot interface to receive fast outcomes and suggestions for next steps, by identifying related risk factors from the symptoms and information entered by a user. At the end of the conversation, users are guided to an appropriate triage outcome (e.g. Self Care’, ‘Pharmacy’, ’GP’, ‘GP urgent’, ‘Hospital or ‘Hospital urgent’) and provided further information about possible causes.
An evolving mobile health management platform
Pulse is constantly updated with enhanced features, information, and relevant functionalities to current health concerns. The Symptom Checker, for example, has recently been updated to provide alerts on specific symptoms and conditions that could be related to COVID-19. With this updated feature, it can provide additional information that can help the user identify if they need treatment or if they can look after themselves, based on local healthcare guidance.
In addition, Pulse has recently added new features and benefits, including the Hospital Locator, Pulse Beats, Safe Steps Safety Card, and the latest free offering of COVID-19 coverage and Personal Accident insurance.
The Hospital Locator provides a map that navigates nearby hospitals and clinics to help users access immediate healthcare services. Meanwhile, education materials such as Pulse Beats and the Prudence Foundation led Safe Steps Safety Card are found in the home tab on Pulse to give health information and suggest preventative measures against certain illnesses, including COVID-19. Lastly, the Pulse app allows Filipinos aged 18-64 to avail of a 45-day free COVID-19 coverage and personal accident (PA) insurance until May 31. The product provides a death benefit or lump sum amount of Php 100,000 to the beneficiaries if the insured passes away due to accident or as a result ofCOVID-19, subject to terms and conditions and a double death benefit for eligible healthcare workers who dedicate themselves for saving lives.
“Our updated Pulse features and the COVID-19 protection offer are ways of assuring Filipinos that they can rely on us in times of a health crisis. Through our ‘We DO Innovation’ and ‘We DO Health’ promises, safeguarding Filipinos’ health and wealth continues to be our top priority,” says Tumbaga.
Pulse is available in the Philippines, and can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android devices.
For more information on Pulse, its features, and the free COVID-19 protection offer, visit https://www.wedopulse.com/ph/.
To note: The Symptom Checker is not a diagnostic tool and is intended for use only for general wellbeing purposes by non-pregnant adults over the age of 18 and is not intended to be used for any medical purpose. Any health-related information provided should not be treated as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a doctor for any medical advice required or if you are concerned about any of your symptoms. Symptom Checker should never be used in a medical emergency, local emergency services should be contacted in this situation.
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About Pulse
Pulse is a digital health app and the first-of-its-kind in the region to offer holistic health management to consumers. Using AI-powered self-help tools and real-time information, the app serves as a 24/7 health and wellness partner to users, helping them prevent, postpone, and protect against the onset of diseases. Pulse is part of Prudential’s region-wide strategy to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to everyone across Asia by leveraging digital technologies and best-in-class partnerships.
Following the regional launch of Pulse in Malaysia in August 2019, Pulse was introduced in the Philippines in February 2020. The app is being rolled out in 11 markets across the region, supported by a growing suite of regional and local service providers such as Babylon (symptom checker and healthcheck).
Pulse can be downloaded for free from Apple and Google Play stores.
Pulse is owned and operated by Prudential Services Asia Sdn Bhd, an affiliate of Pru Life UK. Existing health services on the Pulse app are provided by third-party partners, and not Prudential.
For more information: https://wedopulse.com/ph/
About Babylon
Babylon is a globally-leading technology company with the ambitious mission to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on Earth.
We combine technology and medical expertise to bring doctors and people closer together, with digital healthcare tools designed to empower people with knowledge about their health. Through a range of digital health services – such as AI-backed digital health tools – we give people round-the-clock access to affordable, holistic healthcare services. We work with governments, health providers and insurers across the globe, and support healthcare facilities from small local practices to large hospitals. We want to inspire change and it’s all in the name of good health.
For more information about Babylon visit: www.babylonhealth.com
For more information about Babylon’s localisation methodology, please visit: https://www.babylonhealth.com/apac/localisation
