Oracle has announced the launch of its new Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant at the Oracle Health Conference in Las Vegas. This new digital assistant will leverage generative AI capabilities together with voice commands to streamline clinical workflows for healthcare providers.
The goal is to reduce the administrative burden on clinicians so they can better focus on delivering personalized, engaging care to patients. The clinical assistant automates routine tasks like taking notes during patient visits and proposing relevant follow-up actions.
Providers can also use voice commands with the assistant during appointments to look up patient records and test results. This aims to simplify EHR interactions so doctors can glean insights without numerous menu clicks.
“The EHR should be a provider’s best ally in delivering engaging, personalized care to the patients they serve,” said Suhas Uliyar, Oracle’s head of health product management. “We are not only helping providers reduce mundane work that leads to burnout, but we are also empowering them to create better interactions with patients that establish trust, build loyalty, and deliver better outcomes."
The assistant can respond conversationally to queries such as “show me the patient’s latest MRI,” retrieving the relevant information and images from the EHR. This contextual awareness aims to mirror a real clinical conversation.
For patients, Oracle is also offering new self-service capabilities. Using voice commands or web chat through their patient portal, individuals can schedule appointments, pay bills, and get answers to health questions around procedures or conditions.
This improved access and engagement can advance patient retention while reducing missed appointments and revenue losses. The patient features are available now, while the clinical assistant will released in the next 12 months.
Oracle made a strategic push into healthcare last summer when it acquired Cerner, the second-largest EHR provider in the U.S., for $28.3 billion. The purchase established Cerner as an "anchor asset" for Oracle to expand its presence across healthcare organizations.
Last month, Epic, the leading EHR provider in the US revealed a partnership with Nuance Communications, Microsoft's speech recognition subsidiary, to integrate Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Express into its EHR software. They also announced a "Partners and Pals" initiative that brings in third-party tools such as Abridge's AI-powered clinical documentation technology.
Given the pain points around clinician burnout and patient dissatisfaction, the healthcare industry stands to gain immense value if EHR providers can successfully integrate generative AI technologies into clinical workflows. As the technology matures, healthcare organizations that strategically deploy it stand to gain sustainable advantages in cost, quality and experience.