Oracle has unveiled its Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant, integrating generative AI and voice commands into its Cerner electronic health record (EHR) platform. This innovative tool aims to reduce manual tasks and documentation for healthcare providers, allowing more focus on patient care. Patients can benefit from its natural language processing capabilities for tasks such as appointment scheduling and billing inquiries. Additionally, Oracle announced healthcare-specific analytics and workforce management features. Since it acquired Cerner, Oracle has been prioritizing interoperability and innovation in healthcare products, aiming to address data fragmentation challenges.
Oracle has introduced a significant enhancement to its Cerner electronic health record (EHR) system during the Oracle Health Conference in Las Vegas this week. The newly unveiled Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant leverages generative AI and voice commands to streamline manual tasks and reduce the documentation workload for healthcare providers, allowing them to dedicate more time to patient care.
This innovative generative AI technology within Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant aims to enhance the EHR experience for clinicians by simplifying administrative duties, ultimately enabling healthcare professionals to focus on their patients. The tool, which will be accessible within the next 12 months, supports clinicians during appointments by automating note-taking and suggesting context-aware actions, such as ordering medications or scheduling lab tests and follow-up appointments. By utilizing this tool, providers can verbally access various elements of a patient’s EHR without the need for complex menu-driven interactions.
Patients also benefit from this technology through its natural language processing (NLP) capabilities, allowing them to use voice commands for tasks like booking appointments, querying billing information, checking personal health data, and seeking clarification about their medical care and treatment. Additionally, providers can communicate with patients and send reminders through web chat embedded in their patient portals.
In addition to this development, Oracle unveiled healthcare-specific analytics features for the Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite, designed to empower health systems with financial insights and strengthen supply chains as they enhance their care delivery. Furthermore, Oracle has introduced new workforce management capabilities within its Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management tool, aimed at helping healthcare organizations adapt to evolving labor markets, attract and retain talent, and meet consumer expectations.
Following Oracle’s acquisition of Cerner for $28 billion in June 2022, the company has undergone significant changes. It has closed multiple campuses in Kansas City, undergone workforce reductions, and divested certain parts of the organization. Oracle’s strategic focus has centered on interoperability and innovation within its healthcare products, with CEO Larry Ellison proposing the development of a national EHR database to address data fragmentation challenges.
While Oracle has renegotiated its cornerstone VA deal and aims to resume it by next summer, the company has faced challenges, including the loss of two major U.S. clients and concerns regarding its plans.
Suhas Uliyar, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Oracle Health, emphasized the importance of EHR in delivering personalized care and highlighted how Oracle’s generative AI and voice-first capabilities empower providers to reduce burnout and establish trust, loyalty, and better patient outcomes.
