Oneview launches GenAI care assistant Ovie to reduce nursing workload
Oneview Healthcare has developed a GenAI-powered care assistant called Ovie that aims to provide 24/7 support for patients while alleviating nursing burden. The voice-activated system integrates with hospital electronic health records to deliver personalised responses to patient queries and requests.
How the technology works
Ovie functions as a secure, personalised voice assistant that patients can access throughout their hospital stay. The system responds to natural language queries such as “Hey Ovie, when can I go home” or “Hey Ovie, what are the side-effects of my medication?” By integrating with electronic health records (EHRs) and hospital systems, the assistant provides contextually relevant information specific to each patient’s circumstances.
The technology features intelligent escalation protocols that determine when queries require human intervention. When necessary, Ovie connects patients with virtual nurses or floor staff, ensuring appropriate clinical oversight while minimising unnecessary interruptions to healthcare professionals.
Key features for clinical environments
The Ovie care assistant includes several functionalities designed for the hospital setting:
- Round-the-clock virtual assistance for common patient and family queries
- Voice-activated control of the Oneview digital whiteboard system
- EHR integration providing access to personalised patient information
- Connection to clinical knowledge bases for evidence-based responses
- Structured escalation pathways to virtual and on-site nursing staff
- Planned multilingual capabilities to improve accessibility
Development and implementation timeline
Niall O’Neill, Chief Product Officer at Oneview Healthcare, explained the rationale behind the product: “Communication is key to a great patient experience and to good health outcomes. Ovie is designed to empower patients with the information and support they need, while also alleviating the workload on healthcare professionals. This dual focus not only enhances the patient experience but also allows nurses to focus more on personal patient care.”
The company has adopted a measured approach to deployment, with initial production pilots scheduled at two academic teaching hospitals in the United States. These pilot implementations will precede wider market release, allowing the company to incorporate clinical feedback into the final product. Ovie will be showcased at the upcoming ViVE and HIMSS healthcare technology exhibitions.
Governance framework for AI implementation
Recognising the clinical implications of AI deployment in healthcare settings, Oneview has developed a comprehensive AI governance framework to underpin the development process. This framework aims to ensure responsible performance and safety standards for the technology when used in clinical environments.
The approach reflects growing awareness within healthcare technology of the need for robust governance structures when implementing AI tools in patient care settings. By establishing clear protocols for development, testing and deployment, the company seeks to address potential concerns regarding AI use in clinical decision support.
Implications for nursing practice
The introduction of AI assistants like Ovie represents a significant shift in how routine patient communications might be managed in hospital settings. By offloading common queries and basic information provision to an AI system, the technology could potentially reduce interruptions that fragment nursing workflows.
For hospital laboratories and clinical departments, such systems may offer opportunities to improve communication of diagnostic results and procedural information to patients, while maintaining appropriate clinical oversight through the escalation pathways.
- For more information, visit: oneviewhealthcare.com
