Cool New AI Features in MyChart and Cosmos

At the 2024 User Group Meeting (UGM) by Epic Systems, a big name in healthcare software, they introduced some really cool updates for MyChart and Cosmos that use artificial intelligence (AI). This means they’re making their software smarter, which could change how doctors and hospitals use your health data to help you stay healthy.

AI in MyChart: Making Doctor-Patient Chats Better

MyChart lets patients talk to their doctors online. The new updates for 2024 use AI to make these chats smarter and more helpful.

1. Predictive Analytics: This fancy term just means MyChart will start guessing health risks you might face based on your past health records. For example, if your history suggests you could develop diabetes, MyChart might tell you to get checked or change your diet.
2. Personalized Health Tips: AI will also give you health tips that make sense for you specifically, like reminding you when to get a vaccine or take your meds.
3. Smarter Help: MyChart will have a smarter virtual assistant that can answer basic questions, help you look through your health records, or set up appointments. This should make everything a lot easier for both you and your doctor.

Cosmos: Big Brain for Big Data

Cosmos is Epic’s huge database that holds anonymous health records from tons of people. At the UGM, they talked about how they’re using AI to make sense of all this data to help improve healthcare.

1. AI for Research: Now researchers can use AI to quickly find patterns in the data that might tell us new things about diseases and treatments.
2. Quick Data Checks: With AI, Cosmos can analyze health data as it comes in. This means doctors can spot and react to new health threats much faster.
3. Better Predictions: AI can also help make better guesses about health outcomes based on the data. This is great for hospitals trying to plan resources or manage patients more effectively.

Why This Matters

Putting AI into Epic’s software could lead to a lot of good stuff:

• Better Health: Catching health issues early and getting personalized advice can help you stay healthier.
• Less Work for Doctors: With AI taking over some tasks, doctors can spend more time on important stuff.
• Faster Research: AI can go through huge amounts of data quickly, speeding up health research.

But, there are also some big questions to think about:

• Privacy: How do we keep all this sensitive health data safe?
• Fairness: We need to make sure AI isn’t biased in a way that could affect your care.
• Cost: Will these AI features make healthcare more expensive?

Wrap-Up

The new AI tools in MyChart and Cosmos are a big deal for healthcare tech. They promise a lot of benefits, like better health and faster research, but we also need to keep an eye on the potential problems and make sure everything is done right. As AI gets more involved in healthcare, everyone from doctors to patients to lawmakers will need to work together to make sure it’s used wisely and fairly.

FAQ

1. What new AI features are being added to MyChart?

MyChart, Epic Systems’ patient portal, is getting several new AI-powered features. These include predictive analytics, which helps identify potential health risks based on your medical history, personalized health tips tailored to your specific needs, and an enhanced virtual assistant to help with tasks like answering common questions and scheduling appointments.

2. How will AI in Cosmos improve healthcare research?

Cosmos, Epic’s massive database of anonymous health records, is using AI to make healthcare research faster and more efficient. AI can quickly analyze large datasets to find patterns and trends in disease progression, treatment effectiveness, and population health. This can lead to quicker development of new treatments and more effective public health strategies.

3. What are the potential concerns with using AI in healthcare?

While AI can bring many benefits, there are also concerns. Key issues include data privacy—ensuring that sensitive health information remains secure—and preventing biases in AI algorithms that could lead to unfair treatment. Additionally, there’s a concern that the integration of AI could increase healthcare costs, so it’s important to consider how these technologies are implemented.

Sources CNBC