Innovation in Healthcare Communications

Summary of work

Psoriatic disease is an immunological condition affecting more than 100 million people worldwide. It has many manifestations, the most commonly known one the highly visible skin plaques across the body and lesser-known ones involving the scalp and nails. Inflammation in the joints can also lead to permanent damage and result in psoriatic arthritis, a debilitating condition that can limit mobility.

Research shows that people living with psoriatic disease often feel frustrated by the difficulties of finding information that is relevant to them and their situation, and are concerned about the credibility of information available online, which can often be conflicting.

Novartis believes in a future where nobody has to wait for answers, everyone can find the right information at the right time, and support to live a healthier life is readily available. To provide a personalised and interactive solution for patients living with a chronic condition, Novartis created Alia – a chat-based digital health assistant that people can speak with anytime, anywhere, for helpful advice or support.

Alia, our Facebook Messenger chatbot, sits at the intersection of healthcare, technology and empathy, helping patients towards better management of their condition. She provides information about a healthier lifestyle, tips for disease management, background on treatment options and support for symptom tracking. Through Emotional Intelligence, Alia also tries to offer some of the emotional support that can be difficult to come by when you suffer from a chronic illness. She learns from patient requests and can evolve over time to address needs previously unmet.

Judges' comments

Creation and Novartis showed a good use of a chatbot, with commendable ongoing development of the platform. The judges look forward to seeing this develop.