The EHR is poised to evolve from its original role as a place to store patient information. The next step is for it to take a more active role in the patient care journey.

As more of the journey becomes digitized, the EHR can help move work forward by connecting workflows, surfacing what needs attention, and using AI to reduce administrative burden. This shifts the EHR from a system of record to a system of action.

In ambulatory care, that shift has practical implications. Scheduling, documentation, billing, care coordination, and follow-up depend on one another. Today, much of the responsibility for keeping those processes moving still falls on people and is often spread across different systems. As EHRs become more intelligent, they can make that coordination easier by surfacing relevant information, identifying what needs attention, and helping users take an informed next step more quickly.

That does not mean removing people from the process. There are decisions that require professional judgment and always will. But there is a difference between doing the tedious, repetitive tasks and going through multiple steps required to get to that resolution. Technology should help users reach the needed destination faster and with less manual effort.

AI is an opportunity to make that shift possible at scale. Rather than simply making individual tasks faster, an AI-enabled EHR can help providers and staff navigate the broader workflows surrounding patient care and reduce the manual effort required to keep work moving across the practice. The bigger opportunity is to create a more connected experience for both the people delivering care and the patients moving through it.

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