Oracle Unveils AI Electronic Health Record with Voice Navigation

Oracle has launched a new electronic health record (EHR) system that incorporates advanced cloud and AI features aimed at simplifying the work of healthcare professionals. This marks Oracle’s most significant healthcare product update since acquiring Cerner in 2022. The new EHR platform is designed to improve efficiency by enabling doctors to interact with patient records using voice commands, reducing time spent on manual data entry and allowing more focus on patient care.

AI-Driven EHR to Streamline Clinical Workflows

Oracle’s EHR replaces traditional menus with a streamlined interface that responds to spoken questions, allowing doctors to access patient information quickly. By simply asking questions like, “What’s the patient’s current medication?” or “Any recent lab results?” doctors receive immediate, AI-generated answers. The EHR also includes AI-based summaries, personalized recommendations, and detailed records, helping doctors quickly assess what’s changed since the last visit.

How the EHR Works

The new browser-based EHR eliminates the need for menus or drop-down screens. Upon opening the system, physicians see a search bar along with a chronological list of their appointments. The streamlined interface allows doctors to click a microphone icon within the search bar and ask questions, such as “How many openings do I have today?” or “How many new patients are on my schedule?” Within seconds, the AI generates an answer. When the recording stops, Oracle’s AI automatically generates a clinical note from the appointment, eliminating the need for doctors to write it themselves.

When a doctor clicks on a patient’s name, they’re taken directly to that patient’s chart. Here, they can view AI-generated summaries alongside detailed records of the patient’s medical history, including updates since the last visit, any new medications, lab results, clinical notes, prior treatments, risk factors, messages, allergies, and vitals.

Intuitive Voice Commands: Doctors can ask patient-specific questions and follow up with additional queries without needing exact phrasing. The system retrieves information from extensive medical histories and adapts to the doctor’s habits over time. Doctors can ask questions like, “Has she ever complained about panic attacks or shortness of breath?,” “Has he had a CT screening for lung cancer, and are his vaccinations up to date?” or “Which antibiotics have you treated her urinary tract infection with?”

Embedded Clinical AI Agent: A built-in Clinical AI Agent automatically generates notes from recorded appointments, further reducing documentation tasks. Available on mobile, it’s already used by around 70 healthcare providers. Since the Clinical AI Agent is already embedded within Oracle’s new EHR, customers won’t need to handle additional integration. The tool is also available as a stand-alone, EHR-agnostic product, allowing broader accessibility across different systems, according to Uliyar.

“It’s not just a scribe. It’s not an assistant. It’s almost like having your own resident,” Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager of Oracle Health and Life Sciences, told CNBC.

The voice-activated questions are designed to build on one another, with the EHR’s AI learning the doctor’s preferences, such as frequently prescribed or refilled medications. Even if a question isn’t phrased perfectly, the system can still locate the needed information.

For more detail or to verify an AI-generated response, doctors can click on a citation to view the referenced original record. Additionally, answers that include information like medication dosages or other evidence-based recommendations will link directly to validated databases, ensuring accuracy and reliability.

Competing in a Shifting EHR Market

Oracle’s EHR is designed to be cloud-based and separate from the Cerner infrastructure. Existing Cerner users will need to transition to the new system, which Verma likened to building a new structure rather than updating old technology. This approach aims to address Oracle’s recent EHR market challenges, where rival Epic Systems has gained traction. Oracle sees its latest offering as a potential game-changer, addressing healthcare industry needs while allowing customizations that could benefit different healthcare settings.

Early Adoption and Future Enhancements

Oracle plans to launch an early adopter program for the new EHR in 2025. The company will work closely with customers to tailor the EHR’s functionality, with all updates to be cloud-enabled, simplifying deployment and scaling. “Our EHR is going to solve a lot of long-standing problems that we’ve had in health care,” said Oracle executive Seema Verma, highlighting the company’s confidence in the system’s disruptive potential.

Looking Ahead

Oracle’s AI-powered EHR could reshape healthcare workflows, particularly for overburdened providers seeking efficiency and better patient interaction. By merging cloud technology with intuitive AI functions, Oracle aims to position itself as a leader in the EHR market, providing a modern tool for clinicians and setting a new standard for digital healthcare records.