Epic, which powers electronic health records for nearly half of U.S. hospitals, is preparing to launch its own AI note-taking tool for clinicians — a space so far dominated by startups like Abridge, Suki AI, Nabla, and Microsoft-owned Nuance. The move could cut into competitors’ market share, though industry experts like Brendan Keeler predict a slow start before steady improvement.
The appeal is clear: ambient scribes save doctors hours of documentation, as seen in Kaiser Permanente’s 15,700-hour annual time savings. But with costs ranging from $100–$400 per doctor per month, Epic’s integrated offering — backed by its free-tool strategy — could sway adoption among its vast user base.