Anthropic and OpenEvidence said on 22 September that they are launching a specialised medical AI service free for healthcare providers in around 100 countries, PYMNTS reported. The partnership extends access beyond the US and Europe, where OpenEvidence’s existing platform is free to clinicians.
Key points
- The specialised service is being launched in around 100 countries, including Angola, Haiti, Mongolia, Sudan and Uganda.
- OpenEvidence answers physicians’ questions using peer-reviewed research and treatment guidelines.
- Healthcare providers in the covered countries can use the specialised version for free.
OpenEvidence extends its free clinical service
OpenEvidence provides physicians with answers drawn from peer-reviewed medical research and treatment guidelines. Its existing platform is free to clinicians in the US and Europe. The specialised version in the Anthropic partnership is intended for healthcare providers in low and middle-income countries, according to PYMNTS.
The companies told Reuters on 22 September that the collaboration is designed to help doctors make clinical decisions in places without access to such technology. OpenEvidence founder Daniel Nadler said, “Access to medical knowledge shouldn’t depend on geography.”
The programme is being launched in around 100 countries. Angola, Haiti, Mongolia, Sudan and Uganda are among those on a list OpenEvidence provided for the rollout. The free offer covers healthcare providers using the specialised version, while the existing free platform serves clinicians in the US and Europe.
Clinical access in around 100 countries
The expansion targets places where access to medical literature, specialist expertise and continuing medical education can be limited. The service is designed to put research and treatment guidance within reach of clinicians making patient-care decisions, rather than to handle the administrative work that has also attracted healthcare AI adoption.
Healthcare systems are exploring AI as one response to shortages of physicians and specialists. Supporters say the tools can help clinicians search large bodies of medical information quickly. Critics have warned that systems trained primarily on data from wealthier countries may not fit local practice conditions, PYMNTS reported.
Research by PYMNTS Intelligence found that healthcare has adopted AI less extensively than financial services. Healthcare companies are using the technology for logistics, customer service, workforce planning and model development, alongside work aimed more directly at clinical care.
Anthropic’s work in healthcare and biology
The OpenEvidence arrangement sits alongside Anthropic’s work in biology. Reuters reported that Anthropic had built a laboratory for physical biology work focused on AI-assisted drug development. That work concerns drug research, while the OpenEvidence partnership concerns information used by healthcare providers.
Anthropic believes its healthcare and biology-focused AI work could improve public sentiment towards the technology, The Wall Street Journal reported in August. The company shared that view with potential investors as it prepared to go public.
