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Created by the Public Governance Directorate

This website was created by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), part of the OECD Public Governance Directorate (GOV).

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COVID-19 AI-Powered Digital Assistant

Innovative response

This AI-powered digital assistant is for supporting citizens during this pandemic, allowing them to ask questions about the disease and, eventually, to avoid infections by the new coronavirus by not leaving the house. Based on Artificial Intelligence, through the algorithms provided by the Directorate-General for Health, it aims to make an initial screening to its users and to understand what is the best approach they might adopt.
The service is available free of charge through a website and Messenger on the Facebook page of the Centro de Medicina Digital P5.
Despite not being an official solution from the national health authority (does not replace the authorized and official channels, such as the Saúde 24 helpline), the digital assistant can give recommendations to the users on how to avoid contagion and stay healthy. The creation of this algorithmic model allowed the system itself to improve the answer to the frequently asked questions and to guide people towards scientifically validated information.

Specific issues addressed and anticipated impact

Information and practice sharing (with public and/or internal)

Organisations/institutions involved

A consortium between public medical schools, tech startups, namely, the School of Medicine of the University of Minho, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto and the companies Automaise and HLTSYS – HealthySystems.

Level(s) of government:
  • Private Sector
  • Non-Profit/Civil Society

Issues being addressed:

  • Information and practice sharing (with public and/or internal)

Response tags:

Date Submitted:

8 April 2020