This week’s Oracle Health Summit in Nashville was a rodeo of announcements, and by this time next year it sounds like we could see both an entirely new AI-powered EHR and a freshly minted QHIN.
The biggest headline from the event was the unveiling of a next-generation EHR powered by AI, which will allow clinicians to use voice for conversational search and interactions.
- The EHR is being developed from scratch rather than built on the Cerner Millennium architecture, which Oracle itself reported had a “crumbling infrastructure” that wasn’t a proper foundation for its roadmap.
- The new platform will also embed Oracle’s AI agent and data analysis suite across all clinical workflows, while integrating with Oracle Health Command Center to provide better visibility into patient flow and staffing insights.
Not content with just a fancy new EHR, Oracle also announced that it’s pursuing a Qualified Health Information Network designation, making it the latest EHR to jump from CommonWell to the TEFCA bandwagon.
- TEFCA sets technical requirements and exchange policies for clinical information sharing, and Oracle will now undergo robust technology and security testing before receiving its designation.
- Oracle said that its guiding goal is to help streamline information exchange between payors and providers, simplify regulatory compliance, and help accelerate the adoption of VBC.
The news arrives as Oracle recorded its largest net hospital loss on record 2023. The only competitor to gain ground was long-time rival and current QHIN Epic, which welcomed Oracle’s QHIN application with a hilariously backhanded press release.
- “Interoperability is a team sport, and Epic looks forward to Oracle Health getting off the sidelines and joining the game.” Fighting words for a company with information blocking lawsuits piling up.
The Takeaway
Regardless of how these moves play out, Oracle is undoubtedly taking some big shots that are refreshing to see. Only time will tell whether doctors who have spent years clicking through their EHR will be able to make the shift to voice, or if Oracle’s QHIN tech audit will go better than it’s VA roll out.
