Healthcare IT giant Epic Systems announced that it is working on over 100 artificial intelligence (AI) features to be integrated into its electronic health record (EHR) software to streamline processes for doctors and patients.
CEO Judy Faulkner took the stage in a swan costume and made the announcement to thousands of healthcare executives during the company’s User Group Meeting (UGM) in Veronica, Wisconsin.
UGM is an annual campus conference known for its themed fun. Attendees come in full costume to learn about the latest advances in Epic’s technologies. The company’s EHR system is a staple of the U.S. healthcare system, managing the medical records of more than 280 million Americans.
This year’s UGM, themed “Storytime,” presented news on how AI is combining with Epic’s offerings and leveraging patient data to simplify charting and documentation and make research insights more accessible to physicians at the point of care.
Epic’s AI features
Epic announced that among over 100 AI features in the works, its generative AI will translate patient communications into plain language and automate prescriptions and lab orders by the end of 2024. The company is also working on AI tools to streamline time-consuming routines, including writing insurance letters and reviewing authorization requests.
Looking even further ahead to 2025, the company expects its AI to collect relevant medical data that doctors can review when responding to patient questions through the MyChart app.
Epic’s MyChart In-Basket Augmented Response (ART) technology automatically creates responses to patient messages and generates 1 million drafts each month, according to Faulkner. She added that the technology is currently in use at 150 health systems and medical groups.
“It saves doctors about half a minute per message, and that can add up. And importantly, patients say they like it, and many prefer it. ART’s responses are often more empathetic than those of very busy doctors,” she said. “I find that kind of funny. The machine is more human than the human.”
Another special AI feature expected next year is a tool that uses images to measure the size of wounds, which can significantly improve care management.
In addition, Epic introduced a new appointment scheduling app called Teamwork for doctors and nurses. The company also mentioned that it is exploring how its software could be used to revolutionize insurance claim filing by eliminating the need for a middleman.
A little foretaste
Although most of these AI features are still in the early stages of development, Epic assured the audience of the potential of its technology during a live demonstration.
At the demonstration, the company’s senior vice president of research and development, Seth Hain, interacted with an AI agent through the MyChart app. The agent assessed Hain’s wrist recovery from what was supposed to be surgery and advised him to “wait a little longer” before he could play pickleball again.
After the presentation, Hain stressed that the demo took place in real time and without human intervention. So far, the company has not named this feature and said it will likely be several years before it is publicly available.
“It’s still very, very, very early whether and how society, the broader medical community, will adopt something like this, but it is doable,” he said.
