By Tom Still
VERONA, Wis. – Epic’s User Group Meeting annually offers a themed surprise for thousands of visitors, so it was no shock when founder Judy Faulkner appeared on stage Aug. 20 in the company’s Deep Space Auditorium dressed as “Lady Swan,” a variation on Mother Goose and in keeping with a larger story-telling motif.
What may have surprised the Deep Space crowd and thousands more watching around the world is that while artificial intelligence has already transformed many Epic services, there is much more to unfold in the fairy tale “story” of Epic’s pioneering of healthcare software.
Some numbers put Epic’s UGM in context: People from health-care systems, payor networks and more from all 50 U.S. states and 15 other countries were on hand in the 11,400-seat Deep Space venue when Faulkner and team updated how the company’s software is being used.
That in-person audience and about 32,000 more online learned that Epic’s Cosmos database now contains anonymized records from 270 million patients, which helps researchers conduct better studies and doctors to better assist patients. They heard about developments with Epic’s MyChart, which is a patient portal for appointments, care questions and more. They learned the company gets about 370,000 job applications per year, which feeds the growth of Epic’s workforce of 13,000 people – most of whom clustered on the ever-growing Verona campus. They also heard examples of why cybersecurity diligence is more vital than ever, especially when patient data is involved.
A long list of new Epic customers, called out during the Deep Space presentation, showed why the company is a world leader in electronic health records. It reportedly holds a larger market share than its closest competitor, Oracle Health/Cerner. Of course, Epic didn’t get there by standing still after its humble start in a Madison basement in 1979.
Artificial intelligence is one reason. Speakers at UGM stressed AI has been in play with Epic products for years, with some 400 health systems using the company’s predictive models for tasks ranging from estimating readmission rates to patient bills to “drug-drug” interactions that can be dangerous if not avoided. In fact, Faulker said Epic alerts to caregivers have halted 78 million such instances over time, most likely saving lives in the process.
What’s new but already emerging in Epic’s software suite are uses of “generative” AI such as automated response technology. Examples include a Look-Alikes function, which helps providers who care for patients with rare or mysterious diseases by finding similar patients elsewhere to examine treatment regimens. Another tool being tested would allow doctors to evaluate treatment options based on the outcomes of other patients in the database.
In all, the company is working on about 100 AI products for tasks large and small and, in some cases, designed to take time and human effort out of the process.
One demonstration during the UGM session in Deep Space involved Seth Hain, Epic’s senior vice president of research and development, using a cell phone to highlight how AI might help MyChart users in the future. An AI voice contacted Hain through his phone to see how he is recovering from wrist surgery. It asked him to rate his pain, instructed him to hold up his wrist so the phone’s camera could check range of motion, and compared his progress to others.
“According to Cosmos data, your recovery is ahead of schedule for patients like you. Keep up the good work,” the voice said.
The tool is not ready for prime time, Hain readily acknowledged, and there are health-care providers who worry AI could undermine patient relationships versus nurturing them. Still, the AI phone check-in showed how AI can supplement patient care and help providers get better results.
The Epic “story” must continue to turn the page. Health-care costs are high and some health systems are struggling financially, particularly in rural settings. Regulators abroad, at the U.S. federal level and in states such as Wisconsin are looking at AI with a mix of awe and dread. How a company such as Epic harnesses the power of AI to combat such problems and improve the practice of medicine is the next chapter.
Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He can be reached at [email protected].
