Digital Pathfinder tool offers automated COVID-19 information

Confused by your symptoms? You’re not alone.

To help find your way through the maze of information on COVID-19 and all of its symptoms, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County is offering a new way to gain information.

“At sweetwatermemorial.com, we’ve already added a separate COVID-19 information page,” said Deb Sutton, MHSC Public Information Officer. “You’ll now find a helpful link on the COVID-19 information page. Just click on the green bar – Get relevant information about COVID-19.”

Answer the questionnaire to get relevant information tailored to you. It’s based on information from sources such as the Centers for Disease and Prevention, the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

“We are excited to offer this tool to our patients and community. The COVID-19 Pathfinder triages symptoms based on severity. It will then recommend the most applicable actions based on those symptoms and patient specific medical conditions,” said Kari Quickenden, MHSC Chief Clinical Officer.

“I first heard about the COVID-19 Pathfinder digital tool through my work with the American Hospital Association,” she said. “Upon learning about it, I immediately reached out to the organization to learn more about it.”

Verily COVID-19 Pathfinder is a suite of digital tools designed to automate information sharing for organizations providing care during the pandemic. Pathfinder includes a free embeddable screening tool and a programming template for virtual agents, such as chat and voice bots that include up-to-date, relevant information about COVID-19.

Content sourced from public guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and other public health authorities, and curated by Verily, is made available to patients directly from a health system or hospital’s website. With these tools, Verily, an Alphabet company, and its team of clinicians, technologists and industry experts hope to relieve some of the burden on organizations like Sweetwater Memorial and enable them to focus on delivering care.

Sweetwater Memorial realizes nothing can take the place of a doctor, Quickenden said. The COVID-19 Pathfinder tool is not medical advice. For medical advice, patients should contact their primary care provider. In the event of a medical emergency, call 911.