Epic to integrate Nuance AI virtual assistant into EHR

Nuance Communications and EHR giant Epic have partnered to integrate the voice and language tool vendor’s AI-powered virtual assistant into the EHR, the companies announced at HIMSS18.

Nuance launched its AI-powered virtual assistant for consumer and automotive vendors like American Airlines, Amtrak and FedEx in September. Officials said Dragon Medical Virtual Assistant will streamline clinical workflows to improve caregiver productivity and efficiency.

The partnership with Epic will put the tool into the EHR workflow.

“Technology needs to be unobtrusive and support the process of providing high-quality patient care,” David Ting, MD, Massachusetts General Physicians Organization CMIO, said in a statement. “Having Nuance’s AI-powered virtual assistant technology embedded into Epic will help make a new generation of patient care a reality – for both clinicians and patients.”

The partnership will include three product innovations. Epic Haiku for providers will create virtual assistant-enabled workflows, like asking for patient information and lab results. With Epic Rover, nurses can use the virtual assistant to interact conversationally with flowsheets to enter and confirm patient vitals.

Epic Cadence will scheduling staff, especially those with disabilities, a platform to converse with the virtual assistant to check provider schedules, and create, look up and cancel patient appointments with voice and natural dialogue.

All of the new tools will run on both iOS and Android mobile devices.

“Nuance’s AI-powered virtual assistants with conversational AI functionality expand the ways that physicians and care teams can capture and retrieve patient information,” Epic President Carl Dvorak said in a statement. “We expect them to be a catalyst for changing how and what physicians are required to document in progress notes.”