Google.org AI Grant to Clalit to Facilitate Patient Access

Google.org has provided a two-year, $2 million grant to Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest healthcare provider, to develop a conversational artificial intelligence system that will facilitate patient access to healthcare services.

This two-year funding support will back Clalit, which serves approximately five million members, in developing an artificial intelligence platform capable of performing procedures such as appointment scheduling, pre-visit registration processes, and follow-up guidance in multiple languages. The system will use voice-based artificial intelligence and large language models to communicate in regional dialects and spoken languages that are not always sufficiently represented in traditional digital health platforms.

The project aims to eliminate barriers faced by patients with limited internet access or those using devices that cannot easily support web-based healthcare services. Clalit stated that the platform will be accessible via smartphones, landlines, and internet-connected devices. The system will also reduce administrative workload and save time for healthcare staff by conducting automated symptom intake and triage prior to appointments.

Clalit announced that the platform will run on Google Cloud infrastructure and noted that patient interactions will be encrypted, anonymized, and protected with a zero-trust security framework. The organization plans to start with a pilot program before rolling out the service nationwide. Clalit also aims to release the system's architectural components and cultural adaptation frameworks as open-source tools that can be used by public health organizations in other regions.