Microsoft has forged two new strategic partnerships with leading health systems — Mayo Clinic and Mercy — as it aims to use the power of generative artificial intelligence to ease healthcare's administrative burdens.
On Sept. 28, Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic said it would be rolling out the Microsoft 365 Copilot, which combines large language models with organizational data to streamline administrative work, such as filling out forms for physicians.
The tool can be used across emails, meeting transcripts, chats, calendars and documents.
"Using AI-powered tech will enhance Mayo Clinic's ability to lead the transformation of healthcare while focusing on what matters most — providing the best possible care to our patients," Mayo Clinic CIO Cris Ross said in a Sept. 28 news release.
Mayo isn't the only health system turning to Microsoft to automate its staff's administrative work. St. Louis-based Mercy also announced that it would be using the tech giant's OpenAI generative AI tools within its workflow.
Mercy will use Microsoft's AI tools to help patients understand their lab results, recommend follow-up actions during initial patient calls and help staff find information about Mercy's policies.
"With Microsoft, we are exploring more than four dozen uses of AI and will launch multiple new AI use cases by the middle of next year to transform care and experiences for patients and co-workers," Joe Kelly, Mercy's executive vice president of transformation and business development officer, said in a Sept. 27 news release. "This is predictive, proactive and personalized care at its best."