HIMSS26 Preview: Healthcare AI Shifts from “Generative AI” to “AI Agents.” Building Workflows Starting with Electronic Health Records

This podcast episode examines the evolution of medical technology as it shifts from basic generative AI toward autonomous AI agents designed to streamline clinical workflows. Leading electronic health record provider Epic is introducing a no-code platform called Agent Factory, allowing healthcare staff to build custom tools for patient monitoring and data processing. Simultaneously, Google Cloud is leveraging its Gemini models to automate complex external processes like insurance prior authorizations and multi-modal home care analysis. Wolters Kluwer is also advancing the field with Medi-Span Expert AI, a system that uses clinical evidence to provide real-time medication safety alerts by syncing directly with patient records. These innovations highlight a growing competition between established giants and emerging startups to integrate evidence-based intelligence into daily medical practice. Together, these developments signal a future where AI actively manages administrative burdens and enhances clinical decision-making through seamless data integration.