Microsoft unveils Dragon Copilot voice-activated AI assistant for doctors

An image of a doctor showing a patient a medical record

(Image credit: Pixabay)

Dragon Copilot combines Dragon Medical One and DAX Copilot tech
Ongoing staffing issues continue to plague healthcare
Microsoft says early users report time savings and reduced burnout

In response to ongoing staffing shortages across the healthcare sector, Microsoft has unveiled its own doctor-designed AI assistant to help practitioners free up more time to handle patients.

As the name suggests, the new AI tool combines Dragon Medical One’s natural language voice dictation with DAX Copilot’s ambient listening technology.

The company cited rising pressure in the UK, which now has a backlog of 7.5 million patients on waiting lists, as well as burnout across the US that’s affecting around half (48%) of clinicians.

Microsoft Dragon Copilot

Microsoft reckons technological advancements have already helped reduce US clinician burnout by five percentage points between 2023 and 2024, and its big bet on artificial intelligence is hoping to take care of even more burdensome administrative tasks.

“With the launch of our new Dragon Copilot, we are introducing the first unified voice AI experience to the market, drawing on our trusted, decades-long expertise that has consistently enhanced provider wellness and improved clinical and financial outcomes for provider organizations and the patients they serve,” said Microsoft Health and Life Sciences Solutions and Platforms CVP Joe Petro.

Apart from streamlining documentation and automating some workloads, Microsoft says its technology will also help doctors conduct general-purpose medical information searches from trusted content sources to help guide their consultations.

American and Canadian doctors are set to get access to the tools from May 2025, with practitioners in the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands also being promised access later.

Microsoft says more than three million ambient patient conversations across 600 healthcare organizations have already been assisted in just the past month, with clinicians reporting a time saving of five minutes per encounter, reduced burnout and fatigue, and a better overall patient experience.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!