Epic and Microsoft have announced an extended collaboration aimed at integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools into Epic’s electronic health records (EHR) system. The partnership aims to swiftly introduce a variety of AI technologies, such as clinical note summarization, medical coding suggestions, and data exploration tools. These tools are designed to address gaps in clinical evidence using real-world data. The primary goal of this expanded collaboration is to expedite the development and deployment of AI tools in the healthcare sector. Eric Boyd, the corporate vice president of AI platform at Microsoft, emphasized the importance of introducing this technology as swiftly and responsibly as possible, in collaboration with healthcare providers.
Generative AI, which employs algorithms to produce content like text or images, is gaining traction in the healthcare industry. Advocates believe it can reduce the administrative workload for healthcare professionals. However, there are concerns about the potential risks of generative AI, such as errors and the perpetuation of biases. Therefore, healthcare leaders are advised to be proactive when adopting these tools, considering factors like bias and privacy protection.
This initiative to accelerate generative AI in healthcare builds upon previous collaborations between Epic and Microsoft. For instance, in April, the two companies announced the integration of Microsoft’s OpenAI Service into Epic, which would assist in auto-drafting responses to patient messages and enhance Epic’s self-reporting tool, SlicerDicer. Furthermore, Microsoft-owned Nuance and Epic recently integrated Nuance’s DAX Express, a tool that listens, transcribes, and auto-populates doctor-patient conversations into medical records. This technology has already been implemented for numerous Epic clients and supports thousands of doctors.