Empowering Clinicians: The Dawn of AI-Assisted Healthcare with Epic and Microsoft
A year ago, Epic, a leading health IT company, announced a groundbreaking collaboration with Microsoft to integrate advanced AI tools into its electronic health record (EHR) software. Today, the fruits of this partnership are evident, with Epic boasting over 60 AI use cases in development, signaling a significant leap forward in healthcare technology.
The integration of AI into healthcare is swiftly evolving, with clinicians increasingly enthusiastic about the potential of generative AI to streamline administrative tasks and enhance patient care. Jacqueline Gerhart, M.D., Epic clinician and vice president of clinical informatics, expressed excitement about the transformative impact of this technology during the recent HIMSS24 conference.
"We are collaborating closely with our customers, co-developing solutions tailored to their needs. This level of engagement is unprecedented in the industry, and clinicians are eager to leverage these innovations to improve patient outcomes," remarked Dr. Gerhart, who also practices family medicine at UW Health in Wisconsin.
Through Epic's partnership with Microsoft, the Azure OpenAI Service has been seamlessly integrated into Epic's EHR software. Initial deployments, including solutions for drafting patient message responses, have been met with enthusiasm by healthcare systems such as UC San Diego Health and UW Health. Additionally, Epic has teamed up with Nuance, a subsidiary of Microsoft, to integrate Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Express into its EHR software, further enhancing clinical documentation efficiency.
Over the past year, the adoption of AI and ambient technology has soared, with thousands of clinical notes and message responses generated using these innovative tools. Seth Hain, senior vice president of R&D at Epic, highlighted the impact of these advancements on clinician workflows, noting that they make using technology both approachable and enjoyable.
As AI continues to evolve, Epic remains committed to integrating it seamlessly into clinicians' daily routines, minimizing administrative burdens and enhancing patient-doctor interactions. By prioritizing solutions that are embedded directly into workflow processes, Epic ensures that clinicians can leverage AI effortlessly to deliver superior patient care.
