Merck Manuals Partners with Microsoft to Enhance GenAI-Powered Clinical Decision Support

Through this partnership, developers can build generative AI-powered healthcare agents that utilize the Merck Manuals' trusted content to support clinicians in real-time.

Merck Manuals has announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft to integrate its professional medical reference into Microsoft Copilot Studio's healthcare agent service. 

The initiative aims to enhance clinical decision-making by providing healthcare professionals with seamless access to evidence-based medical content using generative AI (GenAI).

Reliable Medical Information at the Point of Care

Through this partnership, developers can build generative AI-powered healthcare agents that utilize the Merck Manuals' trusted content to support clinicians in real-time. 

The Merck Manuals, known outside the U.S. and Canada as the MSD Manuals, is a non-government, peer-reviewed resource that offers comprehensive, unbiased clinical knowledge.

"This collaboration with Microsoft enables us to deliver accurate, evidence-based medical content directly to the point of care," said Dr. Sandy Falk, Editor-in-Chief of the Merck Manuals. 

"We are supporting clinicians worldwide by ensuring they have timely access to the medical information needed to deliver optimal patient care."

The content, available in 15 languages, is written and reviewed by leading academic experts and is provided free of subscription fees or advertisements. It is already accessible via websites, mobile apps, and electronic health record (EHR) integrations.

AI-Driven Clinical Tools within the Microsoft Ecosystem

Healthcare agent service in Microsoft Copilot Studio enables organizations to develop customized GenAI-powered tools using reusable, healthcare-specific features. 

These include clinical intelligence, compliance safeguards, and access to reputable medical sources.

The collaboration will enhance both Microsoft's third-party and first-party healthcare applications, such as Microsoft Dragon Copilot. 

In these environments, clinicians can surface credible information using voice-enabled and ambient documentation tools, streamlining workflows and reducing cognitive load.

Hadas Bitran, General Manager of Health AI at Microsoft Health & Life Sciences, emphasized the value of the partnership. 

"By integrating the MSD Manuals into Copilot Studio, we are expanding high-impact healthcare use cases and enriching our AI-powered clinical tools with authoritative content," she said.

The initiative reinforces both organizations' shared goal of supporting informed decision-making and improving patient outcomes through trusted accessible medical knowledge.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News.