Epic Developing AI Agents to Help Manage Routine Visits
Epic has built AI agents capable of executing clinical protocols and is exploring their use in managing routine patient visits, according to Garrett Adams, the company's senior vice president of research and development, speaking with Becker's. The effort follows remarks by Epic founder Judy Faulkner about an "Epic doctor" concept at an October 13 Harvard fireside chat. Adams described a workflow where agents gather patient data, evaluate it against protocols set by health systems, and present findings to physicians who retain final oversight; no timeline or live deployments were disclosed. The work targets two access problems: appointment delays amid workforce shortages, and patients losing access to routine care due to insurance or funding changes, with potential applications including medication refills and routine urgent care.