Heidi, a leading player in the clinical AI landscape, has recently completed the acquisition of UK-based startup AutoMedica. This strategic move has paved the way for Heidi to expand its software offerings, introducing two innovative products aimed at enhancing clinical documentation and communication with patients.
The newly launched products include Heidi Evidence, a research tool devoid of advertisements situated within its AI Care Partner platform, and Heidi Comms, designed for managing patient communications encompassing calls, bookings, reminders, and follow-ups.
Heidi Evidence utilizes advanced technology from Anthropic’s Claude models. By employing large language models, it effectively interprets unstructured clinical discussions and medical literature, providing real-time, relevant insights for clinicians during patient consultations.
Evidence Layer
This tool offers concise summaries complete with citations and direct quotes, enabling clinicians to verify sources while delivering care. Heidi Evidence can function independently or be integrated with the AI Scribe feature to enhance workflow efficiency.
According to Heidi, its platform has facilitated over 100 million clinical interactions globally, averaging more than 2.4 million consultations each week across emergency departments, general practices, and specialist clinics. The system supports 110 languages and is utilized in 190 countries.
Heidi Evidence has been developed in collaboration with several esteemed partners, including HealthPathways, EMGuidance, MIMS, Vidal, NICE, and the BMJ Group. The product is specifically tailored to regional guidelines and formularies.
Heidi offers Heidi Evidence free for individual clinicians, leveraging revenue from enterprise clients to provide access in markets where budgets are limited or care systems are fragmented.
The product was designed in response to concerns about advertising and external influences in consumer AI tools, aiming to maintain a clear distinction between clinical research and ad-supported search platforms.
“For AI to genuinely serve as a care partner, the integrity of its evidence must remain uncompromised,” stated Dr. Thomas Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO of Heidi.
“With the shift of general-purpose AI platforms like OpenAI towards ad-supported models, consumers naturally express concerns about hidden influences. In the healthcare sector, these worries heighten in importance. By providing transparent, clinical-grade insights, we facilitate high-quality care while ensuring information remains free from commercial biases. Committing to an ad-free and independent Evidence platform allows clinicians to focus on their patients, assured that their decisions are grounded in clinical rigor, not influenced by business interests.”
UK Acquisition
AutoMedica specializes in point-of-care clinical decision support, primarily utilizing content sourced from the UK. It has been involved in the MHRA AI Regulatory Airlock Programme, a dedicated environment for testing and evaluating healthcare AI products.
Heidi believes that acquiring AutoMedica adds critical experience from working within the NHS AI Airlock, enriching its product development and enhancing its regulatory connections while adhering to evidence-led clinical decision support.
The founders of AutoMedica are clinicians with expertise in AI and machine learning research. Their team is set to join Heidi as part of this acquisition.
“From the very beginning, we’ve maintained that clinical AI should be developed within actual healthcare settings, rather than being tacked on as an afterthought,” noted Dr. Ben Turner, Co-Founder of AutoMedica.
“Our experience in the NHS AI Airlock has demonstrated that collaboration between regulators, clinicians, and technologists can lead to the creation of AI that is both ambitious and inherently safe. By joining forces with Heidi, we can scale our insights on a much larger platform focused on evidence, safety, and the realities of everyday clinical practice.”
Product Expansion
Heidi is diversifying its offerings beyond transcription and note-taking. The introduction of Heidi Comms broadens the platform’s capabilities to encompass administrative functions around appointments and follow-ups, essentially positioning itself as an AI partner for healthcare teams.
Additionally, Heidi is integrating clinical reasoning and evidence retrieval into its workflows, recognizing the increasing volume of medical research and guidance that healthcare professionals must navigate through traditional means.
Heidi Evidence is set up as a research tool linked directly to documentation, streamlining the process for users.
By adopting Anthropic’s models, Heidi aligns itself with other healthcare AI companies that utilize third-party foundation models for designated tasks. The decision to choose Claude was based on its ability to handle intricate conversations and dense literature while producing reliable outputs.
Michael Tolo, General Partner at Blackbird, highlighted that this approach addresses issues of trust and commercial influence within clinical AI systems.
“Heidi is addressing one of the most challenging problems in healthcare AI: how to scale capabilities without sacrificing trust,” Tolo remarked. “By treating evidence as essential infrastructure rather than content that is monetized through advertisements or influence, Heidi is developing a defensible and globally relevant platform that healthcare systems are increasingly demanding.”
Heidi has announced that Heidi Evidence will initially launch in private clinical settings within the UK, with plans for an NHS rollout to follow.
