AI agents sweep healthcare, promising speed and efficiency

Editor's Note

Various digital health companies are racing to introduce a new wave of artificial intelligence (AI) tools—often called AI agents—designed to handle labor-intensive tasks in healthcare with unprecedented speed. These specialized tools aim to manage everything from verifying insurance benefits and clarifying pre-procedure details for patients to aiding in prescription refills and beyond, Modern Healthcare March 18 reports.

According to Bill Fera, MD, a principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP, the surge in AI agent development is partly due to the relative ease of creating and implementing them. By leveraging existing data infrastructures, companies can integrate AI agents without excessive cost or technical burdens. “They’re realizing this is iPhone on steroids,” Dr Fera said in the article, highlighting the transformative impact of these tools on daily operations.

Several industry giants have recently launched or announced AI agents:

• Epic: The electronic health record leader is adapting AI to engage with patients about care goals, schedule labs ahead of primary care visits, and facilitate prescription refills. Epic also unveiled the MyChart microsite builder, allowing health systems to rapidly create and customize new webpages—enabling tasks that previously took days to be done in mere minutes.
• Salesforce: Known for its customer relationship management platform, Salesforce unveiled Agentforce for Health to simplify scheduling, clinician matching, and insurance verification. Additional AI capabilities will include summarizing patient visits and prioritizing tasks, and the product is slated for release starting in June.
• Innovaccer: This healthcare technology and data platform launched a suite of AI agents in February targeting patient scheduling, referrals, and care management. Innovaccer’s tools will be available to current clients who already utilize its data infrastructure. The company is in pilot testing with six customers and plans to commercialize its agents by the end of the second quarter.
• Microsoft: Branding its AI features as “assistants” or “copilots,” Microsoft has integrated generative AI capabilities into EHR documentation products over the last two years. The latest iteration expands to more complex tasks, such as drafting referral letters and extracting clinical orders in real time.
• Google: With significant AI investments in clinical settings, Google is focusing on reducing clinician burnout and automating administrative tasks through its AI agents. Collaborations with smaller tech startups and established companies like Meditech include AI-driven search, summarization tools, and chart preparation for medical assistants.

As these AI agents roll out, experts agree they hold enormous potential to optimize healthcare delivery, cut costs, and enhance patient experiences—signaling a transformative era for both patients and providers.