Introducing Audio Answers, a New Audio-Centric Community from Abridge

Since the start of Abridge, our mission has been to encourage understanding and follow-through across every medical conversation. So far, we’ve focused on the direct conversations that happen between doctors and patients at appointments. But those conversations don’t exist in isolation; instead, people talk with friends, family — even strangers who share a common experience. All along, we’ve realized that this form of connection is incredibly empowering. That’s why today, we’re thrilled to debut Audio Answers in beta, a new community within Abridge designed to connect to the wider community through recorded conversations. It’s ideal for those moments when you’re processing, want to lend someone else support, or just want to share. In Audio Answers, you will be able to listen to other people’s experiences and record and share your own stories.

Why did we build Audio Answers?

Audio Answers is a community for Abridge users to connect and share their health-related stories. Maybe you have a chronic condition you’re navigating, or perhaps you’re starting a new prescription and want to learn more. Whatever the case, finding people who understand what you’re going through can make you feel a lot less lonely. We want to help you to connect with each other, learn from one another, and to feel seen by people who know what it’s like to be in your shoes.‍

How does it work?

You can access the Audio Answers feature from the app’s redesigned home screen. Every few weeks, we’ll post new prompts to the Community board. These might be open-ended questions or thought-provoking statements—the point is to get the conversation started and let you take it away. You’ll see that responses will appear as audio recordings. Once you’ve opened up the app, you can listen to answers and record your own perspective to share with the Community.

Here’s a few sample prompts to give you an idea of what we will be discussing:

• How have you stayed on top of your health (physical and mental) during the pandemic?
• How do you prepare for a doctor’s visit?
• What’s the story behind your first scar? 

You can then listen to a knowledge base of answers filtered by popularity, recency, mood, and mentions.

Are there any topics you want to dive into with others? Please send any suggestions for questions or prompts to hello@abridge.com.

Why participate?

Doctors’ visits can be sporadic—some people see their doctor at least once a month while others only go in a few times a year. But that doesn’t mean you’re not thinking or talking about your health. Audio Answers is a place for you to continue those health-related conversations in between your appointments, with an intimacy uniquely afforded by the audio format.

While doctors’ visits about diagnoses or changes in treatment plans might be the most high-impact conversations, that doesn’t mean they are the only discussions worth having. Talking about your health with people who share similar experiences can relieve stress and help you better understand your circumstances. What’s more, research has shown that social and emotional support can even have protective benefits for your health.

Want to chime in with your thoughts? Please do! Want to tune in as a listener? That’s great! The best thing you can do is what feels right for you. Click here to get started.