US-based healthcare system Mercy has partnered with Microsoft to help clinicians in improving patient care using generative AI and other digital technologies.

The multiyear alliance is expected to help physicians, advance practice providers, and nurses give more time to care for patients and improve the patient experience.

Microsoft research and incubations corporate vice-president Peter Lee said: "With the latest advances in generative AI, this moment marks a true phase change where emerging capabilities can help healthcare organisations address some of their most pressing challenges, create needed efficiency and transform care.”

The collaboration will see Mercy use the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to enhance patient care.

Mercy said the service will help in providing information for patients to better understand their lab results using generative AI-assisted communication.

This generative AI will also be used by Mercy when taking patient calls for actions such as scheduling appointments.

Furthermore, Mercy co-workers will have access to a chatbot to quickly retrieve important information about the policies and procedures of Mercy and locate HR-related answers.

Mercy executive vice-president, officer of transformation and business development Joe Kelly said: "Because of all the investments we have made together with Microsoft in the past few years, including the use of Microsoft's secure cloud, we are better positioned to perform real-time clinical decision-making that ultimately improves patient care.

"With Microsoft, we are exploring more than four dozen uses of AI and will launch multiple new AI use cases by the middle of next year to transform care and experiences for patients and co-workers. This is predictive, proactive and personalised care at its best."