Google Cloud and Amwell have struck up a multi-year, strategic partnership to leverage the potential of telehealth technologies across the continuum of care.

The two plan to expand access to virtual care, which has grown in demand since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and improve patient and clinician experiences through telemedicine technologies that automate waiting rooms and checkout stations. The collaboration comes on the heels of Amwell’s decision to go public, and includes a $100 million investment by Google Cloud that will be used to scale up Amwell’s telehealth portfolio so it can better serve the needs of providers, insurers, and patients within current and new markets.

"As the pandemic has continued, we've been hearing a lot from healthcare customers — not just in the United States, but also internationally — that they were looking for telehealth solutions," Aashima Gupta, the director of global healthcare solutions for Google Cloud explained. "So our plan is to bring Amwell's expertise and technology into the global markets where Google Cloud is strong, and also begin adding Google technologies, such as AI/ML and natural language processing, into their offering. In many ways, we're an AI-first company, so we're excited to infuse this technology into Amwell's solutions."
Amwell plans to move parts of its business from Amazon Web Services to Google Cloud, which it has chosen as its “preferred global cloud partner,” and will also migrate its video performance capabilities on to Google Cloud’s cloud platform to expand access to virtual care for both new and existing customers worldwide, according to CNBC.

Both will work together to develop Google Cloud AI and machine learning technologies for assisting patients and front-line workers with intakes, inquiries, and triage, natural language and translation services for non-native speakers, and G Suite tools such as Meet, to improve collaboration among healthcare staff and with their patients. They also plan to develop sophisticated data analytics tools to help providers and insurers in remote home health monitoring, as well as enable the healthcare industry to service seniors and patients with chronic illnesses in new ways, without compromising care quality or user trust.

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