Amwell, the largest provider of telemedical services in the USA, has entered into a cooperation with the Internet giant Google, as both companies jointly announced only recently. Video consultation hours are very popular in the USA, partly because many Americans can hardly afford any other health care. In the COVID 19 crisis, many people lost their jobs and thus their health insurance. Amwell offers a relatively affordable alternative. Prices for digital doctor’s office hours start at around 80 dollars, depending on the medical speciality. Some U.S. health insurers are even now partially covering the costs. Amwell with medical and psychotherapeutic video consultation hours offers its services via an Internet browser or app and needs the cloud applications of Internet providers for this. In the future, Google Cloud will be the cooperation partner who wants to spread the telemedicine platform globally; previously it was Amazon Web Services. Not only the elderly and the chronically ill around the world are to benefit from Amwell’s innovative service, but also underserved and poorer population groups. But both will benefit from the partnership. So far (since 2014), many companies have invested a total of 640 million dollars in Amwell. Google also intends to invest 100 million dollars in shares as soon as the proposed IPO is completed. Amwell’s spectrum expansion through modern cloud technologies is mainly due to Google, which provides data analysis tools and artificial intelligence (AI) for innovative healthcare worldwide. However, this also means that global use is only possible if it is possible to link the customer accounts of both companies; but always in accordance with the strict guidelines for data access and data use, because, for example, non-personal data from the anamnesis of the patient being remotely monitored should fall into unauthorized hands.
