Navigating Epic’s AI Market Impact: Opportunities and Threats

Epic is unequivocally the dominant player in the health system electronic health records (EHR) market. In 2023, it held 39.1% of the U.S. acute care hospital market share and was the only major EHR last year to gain market share. With more than 325 million patients having a current electronic record in Epic, it is one of the largest providers of healthcare software.

If your institution isn’t currently using Epic, chances are you’re either considering it or your EHR vendor is already planning their next moves based on Epic’s roadmap.

This—combined with the fact that health systems are hesitant to adopt new solutions if Epic has a comparable tool on its roadmap—gives Epic the ability to outcompete nearly any startup in a given category, should they choose to. In other words, what Epic does should be of interest to every health system leader, health IT startup executive, and health tech investor across the country.

In this report, we’re investigating and documenting Epic’s publicly announced planned AI features. Our intent is to clarify both Epic’s AI advancements and its standard system functionalities, which are mapped into a comprehensive taxonomy. We cover:

• Epic’s current strategy, including standard capabilities and publicly announced AI plans

• Gaps in Epic’s AI roadmap

• Epic’s approach to partnerships

• How healthcare tech brands and health systems can navigate development around Epic