In a bold move set to transform the healthcare landscape, Oracle has unveiled its new electronic health record (EHR) system, marking the company's most significant product enhancement since its $28 billion acquisition of Cerner in 2022. This innovative EHR is designed to streamline the way healthcare professionals manage patient information, providing a modern solution to an increasingly complex healthcare system.
At its core, an electronic health record is a digital version of a patient's medical history, continually updated by healthcare providers. While EHR systems are crucial for modern healthcare, they often present usability challenges for clinicians. Oracle’s new offering aims to change that narrative by leveraging advanced cloud and artificial intelligence technologies. With a user-friendly interface that eliminates traditional menus and drop-down screens, doctors can simply ask questions verbally to retrieve information, allowing them to focus more on patient care rather than administrative tasks.
“It’s not just a scribe. It’s not an assistant. It’s almost like having your own resident,” said Seema Verma, Oracle’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Health and Life Sciences, in an interview.
This strategic launch comes as Oracle seeks to enhance its standing in the fiercely competitive EHR market. After experiencing its largest net hospital loss in 2023, Oracle is determined to reclaim its share, especially as market leader Epic Systems reported significant gains. In fiscal 2023, Cerner contributed $5.9 billion to Oracle’s revenue, underscoring the importance of robust performance in this sector.
While the new EHR has been in development since the Cerner acquisition, it is built from the ground up rather than relying on existing Cerner infrastructure. Verma emphasized that the goal was to introduce a fresh product rather than patching outdated systems. "Just think about crumbling infrastructure in a house; you’re not going to put new things on top of it," she explained.
During a virtual demonstration, Suhas Uliyar, Oracle’s Senior Vice President for Product Management in Clinical and Healthcare AI, showcased how the new EHR operates. The system presents a simple browser-based interface featuring a search bar and a chronological appointment list. Doctors can verbally inquire about their schedules, and the AI generates instant responses, significantly reducing the time spent on administrative tasks.
For detailed patient information, physicians can access charts that provide AI-generated summaries and comprehensive medical histories. This includes insights into changes since the patient’s last visit, medication updates, lab results, and more. The system is designed to answer specific questions, enhancing the clinician’s ability to provide informed care without sifting through numerous documents.
Oracle’s voice-activated capabilities learn from doctors' interactions, adapting to their habits and preferences over time. This intelligent design ensures that even when questions aren’t perfectly articulated, the system retrieves relevant information efficiently. Additionally, doctors can easily verify AI-generated answers by accessing original records and validated databases linked within the system.
As Oracle develops this new EHR, it continues to enhance existing Cerner offerings to improve user experience. Features like the Oracle Health Clinical AI Agent—designed to automate documentation tasks—are already integrated into the new system. This tool allows physicians to record patient visits via an app, with AI automatically generating clinical notes post-appointment, freeing up valuable time for patient care.
Looking ahead, Oracle plans to launch an early adopter program for its EHR next year, collaborating with customers to ensure necessary customizations are made. With a push towards cloud-based solutions, Oracle aims to simplify the EHR implementation process for healthcare providers.
“We see it as very disruptive to the market,” Verma remarked. “Our EHR is going to solve a lot of long-standing problems that we’ve had in healthcare.” As Oracle takes these bold steps, the healthcare industry will be watching closely to see how this innovative system reshapes patient management and care delivery.
