Like other industries, healthcare has begun to incorporate AI into many of its functions. While some AI experiences have been better than others, Riz Patel, MD, chief medical information officer with Microsoft, says that the right solution can be beneficial to help an organization keep pace. 

Patel lists 4 AI capabilities that he thinks should be prioritized in healthcare for 2026:

1. Workflow improvement with AI clinical assistants and agents. AI scribes and assistants help with documentation and basic tasks, but AI agents can work on more complex, multistep actions. They can help clinicians with answering patient questions, perform calculations, and help with revenue cycle accuracy. Patel says, “The AI supporting your notetaking today can help identify the most specific diagnosis or appropriate code based on what it hears.”
2. Collaborating agent teams. AI assistants and agents can work in the background to streamline care. Individual agents might each handle a specific task or function, while another agent oversees the other agents and coordinates their efforts.
3. A data platform connected to multiple data sources. Basically, this means using AI agents to reach into and connect various silos of information.
4. Being able to connect apps and agents from third-party developers. Third parties will continue to develop new AI tools and agents, and they will most likely do it more efficiently and economically than you can do in-house. Thus, it will be important that your organization can connect needed third-party assets with your current platform.

Patel says, “You need to partner with an organization that not only has the right platform, but one that helps you understand the value of AI, how to utilize it, and helps your staff understand the technology and adjust to the changes it brings to the organization.” He believes that the role of AI agents and assistants will continue to grow to perform even more immersive functions in healthcare.