PUTRAJAYA, Aug 8 — Insurance firm Prudential Malaysia today officially launched its artificial intelligence-driven health care application called Pulse, in order to make healthcare more personalised and accessible. 

The application is an all-in-one application that provides an array of personal health management features where it allows users to conduct self-examination of any potential sickness symptoms through the app’s own symptom checker feature.

It can also be used to keep track of the user’s owns personal health information.

Officiating the application’s launch today, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said Pulse can revolutionise and redefine healthcare management by utilising big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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Health minister, Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad delivers his keynote address at the launch of Pudential’s Pulse app at Le Meridien hotel in Putrajaya August 8, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Health minister, Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad delivers his keynote address at the launch of Pudential’s Pulse app at Le Meridien hotel in Putrajaya August 8, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

“Pulse is a great example of how the public and private sector can work together to help empower people to be more proactive, preventive and promotive in their approach to healthcare.

“People must take ownership of their health. No amount of intervention, no amount of programme and campaign would enhance healthcare delivery system unless you get the rakyat, particularly the Bottom 40 (B40) to take ownership of their health.

“It is the Health Ministry’s vision and mission to lead and work together with all members of society to encourage Malaysians to achieve the full potential of their health, by taking responsibility and positive action,” he said.

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Dzulkefly also said that tech-savvy Malaysian youth are downloading health apps to received personalised health data and contextualised recommendations to live a healthier lifestyle.

The Pulse application also contains a dengue alert feature called the AIME, which utilises Big data and AI to predict whether a certain locality will face a dengue epidemic within the next 30 days, with an accuracy of 80 per cent. The feature also allows users to be updated with the latest dengue-related information from the Health Ministry.

Dzulkefly lauded the feature, stating that it allows users to be promptly alerted and take the necessary precautionary steps.

“This is where the power of AI and big data can be harnessed to effectively predict and hopefully mobilise users to take preventive measures to protect themselves against dengue,” he said.

Prudential Group Chief Executive Mike Wells delivers his opening address at the launch of Pudential's Pulse app at Le Meridien hotel in Putrajaya August 8, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
Prudential Group Chief Executive Mike Wells delivers his opening address at the launch of Pudential's Pulse app at Le Meridien hotel in Putrajaya August 8, 2019. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Speaking at the event was also Prudential PLC Group Chief Executive Officer Mike Wells who said the application has transformed how the firm conducts its core business by not only providing insurance but also by playing a bigger role in helping people to better manage their healthcare.

“Pulse marks a change in health management in Asia by making healthcare more inclusive and accessible.

“If you watch more and more information about Pulse, you will see that it is designed first to provide social good and a distinct second to that commercial value,’’ he said.

Other features of the app also include DoctorOnCall (DOC) that allow the app users to video chat with doctors who can further assist them in diagnosing their supposed illness.

DOC also allows the user to set a personal appointment with qualified doctors who can then properly diagnose their illness.

The DOC feature will be free for Prudential customers while other users will have to pay RM15 for the first 15 minutes of consultation.