Nuance Communications, a Microsoft subsidiary, has recently made its Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience (DAX) Copilot widely accessible for use with Epic’s electronic health records (EHR). This integration is poised to transform the documentation process for healthcare professionals.
Enhancing Clinical Workflows with AI
The deployment of generative AI technology like DAX Copilot is intended to alleviate the administrative workload of healthcare providers, thereby improving their efficiency. The collaboration between Nuance, Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, and Epic has focused on the advancement of ambient and conversational AI technologies, aiming to improve the experiences of both providers and patients, as well as healthcare outcomes.
Streamlining Patient Care Through Innovation
The rapid development of the genAI EHR-integrated tool, completed in under half a year, signals a leap forward in the pace of innovation within the healthcare sector, according to Microsoft’s Health and Life Sciences chief strategy officer, Peter Durlach. DAX Copilot’s integration enables the secure drafting of clinical notes and the recording of patient visits, both in-office and via telehealth, with patient consent, directly within Epic’s Haiku mobile application.
The primary objective of this technological advancement is to allow physicians to concentrate more on patient care rather than on the burdensome task of documentation. A survey from 2023, which included feedback from thousands of clinicians using DAX, indicates this goal has been achieved. Brent Lamm from UNC Health emphasized the significance of DAX Copilot in enhancing the integral role of the Epic EHR for seamless clinical documentation.
Clinicians who have adopted DAX reported a notable decrease in administrative strain, with 70% experiencing reduced burnout symptoms and a 50% reduction in time spent on clinical documentation. Additionally, they observed an ability to see more patients daily, with some managing up to five extra appointments per clinic day.
Patients also expressed positive feedback regarding the use of genAI during their medical appointments, appreciating the undistracted attention and conversational engagement they received from their providers while DAX Copilot handled the documentation in the background.
