User trials for the AI-native clinical encounter are set to begin in 2026.
athenahealth has unveiled its AI-native clinical encounter, built to transform the electronic health record (EHR) into an intelligent, real-time clinical partner.
The redesigned experience anticipates clinicians’ needs, provides point-of-care insights, and automatically generates documentation, orders, and diagnoses from patient–clinician conversations.
This innovation redefines the EHR as a collaborative assistant, helping reduce cognitive burden while enhancing the quality of patient care.
User testing for the clinical encounter is set to begin in early 2026, marking a move away from traditional billing and record-keeping toward an interactive, clinician-centered experience designed to enhance satisfaction.
The launch integrates existing AI-native features already in use, creating a more personalized and intuitive workflow tailored to each clinician’s needs.
athenahealth Chairman and CEO Bob Segert stated, “The future of healthcare technology isn’t about forcing doctors to adapt to the system — it’s about shaping the system to work the way doctors do.”
“With our AI-native clinical encounter, we’re entering a new era where technology seamlessly supports care. It listens, understands context, and responds in real time—allowing clinicians to stay focused on what matters most: the patient.”
At the center of this innovation is AthenaAmbient, an ambient digital scribe integrated into AthenaOne that automates prescriptions, generates draft notes and diagnoses, and suggests key details to ensure complete documentation and close care gaps.
AthenaAmbient will begin user testing in February 2026 and will be made available to customers through routine updates at no additional cost.
In addition, athenahealth unveiled Sage, an AI-powered clinical copilot embedded in AthenaOne and currently in limited release, enabling clinicians to quickly retrieve and review patient information.
