Use information assist in Dragon Copilot experience for nurses

Information Assist overview

Information Assist is an AI-powered knowledge tool built into Dragon Copilot. It delivers quick, evidence-based answers to clinical questions without interrupting your workflow. Simply type a question in natural language to access trusted medical sources instantly. Information Assist acts like a “second brain,” giving you instant, evidence-based answers backed by real references. It saves time, reduces searching, and supports safer, more consistent patient care.

• Answers based on trusted sources. Preconfigured by Microsoft, answers come from vetted, healthcare‑specific sources like CDC, FDA, MedlinePlus, MSD Manuals, Daily Med, Clinical Coder references and safeguarded global search (when enabled), with citations included in every response.

Administrators manage access and source availability. You can further select which sources to use for relevant answers via the Settings menu.

• Type questions in natural language. You can ask questions the same way you would ask a colleague.

Example: How should we manage this patient’s anticoagulation around the time of surgery, and does he need antibiotic prophylaxis for his mechanical valve? Information Assist returns an answer grounded in trusted sources and includes citations, so you can review the original references.

• Verified answers with citations. Every response includes a citation link for full details.

How to use Information Assist

Information Assist is available from the Copilot chat within patient centric experience:

1. Select a patient from the homepage. This opens the patient view for the current shift.
2. Select the Copilot chat icon at the bottom of the page.
3. In the prompt box, type in a clinical knowledge question in natural language. If your question can’t be answered using patient transcripts, Dragon Copilot automatically routes it to Information Assist.
4. Review the response.
5. Select Copy to quickly transfer the answer into your documentation, handoff notes, or charting.

If your question can’t be answered using patient transcripts, Dragon Copilot automatically routes it to Information Assist.

How Information Assist works with patient context

Information Assist intelligently routes questions based on intent:

• Patient specific questions (for example, when did the patient say their family would visit?) are answered using recorded transcripts.
• General clinical knowledge questions are answered using Information Assist and trusted sources.

If transcript data cannot answer a question, Dragon Copilot automatically uses Information Assist; no separate action is required.

Multi-intent questions

Information Assist supports multi intent queries. This means you can ask compound questions that require information from multiple sources in a single request.

Example: What are the patient identification procedures before administering blood transfusion, and what documentation is required? Information Assist breaks the question into parallel intents and returns a combined response, reducing the need to ask follow up questions.

Safeguarded global search

If trusted sources cannot answer a question, Information Assist can prompt you to allow safeguarded global search. When enabled:

• Information Assist broadens the search beyond configured sources
• Responses remain grounded, with citation links.
• Safeguards are applied to maintain clinical and compliance standards You’ll see a prompt asking whether you want to allow web search before results are shown.

Clinical Coder integration

Provides read only access to transcript based context with links back to original spoken documentation to support downstream coding review and audit needs; it does not assign codes or modify nurse notes.

Related topics

Create nurse notes

Query and summarize the transcript in the web/desktop experience for nurses

Get a refresher or find a specific training topic. Open the Dragon Copilot learning library for the nursing experience.