But as documentation demands, patient loads, and prior authorization complexity grow—many are discovering that native tools only scratch the surface of what’s possible.
That’s where AI-first platforms like Honey Health are changing the game.
In this article, we’ll compare Honey Health’s AI co-workers to Epic’s native automation tools, specifically in the context of endocrinology workflows.
The EHR Reality: Automation, But Limited
Let’s give credit where it’s due—Epic (and other EHRs like Cerner and Athena) have introduced helpful automations over the years, including:
- Smart phrases and templates for charting
- Order sets to reduce click fatigue
- Basic task routing
- Integrated patient messaging
- Some support for prior auth and refill workflows
These tools do help. But they still rely heavily on staff intervention, manual data validation, and structured inputs—and they often don’t go far enough for specialty care like endocrinology.
Honey Health: Purpose-Built AI Agents for the Endocrine Back Office
Honey Health offers AI co-workers that go far beyond static templates or rule-based triggers.
Here’s what sets it apart for endocrine practices:
1. Fax Intake AI
- Reads inbound faxes (referrals, lab reports, DME orders)
- Classifies by intent (e.g., "referral for insulin pump")
- Extracts key data (name, DOB, referring provider, urgency)
- Routes to the right person or inbox—no more reading every fax manually
Epic doesn’t offer fax automation natively. Honey does.
2. AI for Refill Management
- Detects incoming refill requests (via fax or portal)
- Pulls in last visit date, med history, labs (e.g., A1C)
- Suggests next steps: approve, deny, or request labs
- Logs everything in the chart
EHRs require staff to manually triage, click-by-click.
3. Prior Authorization Automation
- Gathers supporting documentation (e.g., recent CGM reports, failed step therapy)
- Pre-fills PA forms based on payer rules
- Notifies team when action is needed
Epic has limited prior auth support, often requiring add-on modules or 3rd-party plugins.
4. Clinical Note Prep AI
- Prepares draft notes using faxed referral content + previous chart data
- Supports problem list creation, assessment planning, and HPI summarization
EHRs rely on the provider to manually build from scratch.
5. Analytics and AI Training for Endocrinology
- Honey’s models are tuned on endocrine-specific workflows, language, and use cases
- Built to understand things like TSH patterns, insulin titration protocols, hormone labs, and endocrine diagnosis codes
Real-World Outcome Comparison
TaskEpic Native ToolsHoney HealthReferral intakeManual or inbox rulesAI-based fax reading, routing, extractionRefill requestsManual triageAutomated decision tree + EHR loggingPrior authEpic Payer Hub (add-on), some payer integrationFully automated, multi-payer submission workflowsChartingSmart phrasesAI-generated notes based on intake + chart historyCross-staff collaborationWork queuesAI-routed tasks with notes and next stepsEligibility checksRequires separate RTE workflowsBuilt into AI flowFollow-up outreachStaff-drivenAI suggests outreach and handles drafts
Why Endocrinology Needs More Than EHR Tools
Endocrinology isn’t primary care. Workflows are more complex:
- Referrals often require lab and imaging history
- Follow-up frequency is higher for diabetes and thyroid disease
- Devices like CGMs and pumps introduce extra paperwork
- Coordinating with PCPs, nephrologists, and OBGYNs is common
- Revenue is more dependent on value-based metrics and closing gaps
EHR tools weren’t built with these realities in mind.
Honey Health’s AI co-workers are.
Cost, Setup & Integration
- Honey Health integrates with Epic and does not require a rip-and-replace.
- Setup can take less than 2 weeks, and the ROI is often seen in the first 60 days.
- It works alongside staff—not replacing them, but letting them focus on care, not clerical work.
Conclusion: EHR Is Not Enough
While Epic’s automation tools are helpful, they don’t go far enough for high-volume specialty practices like endocrinology.
Honey Health gives you:
- AI co-workers that process inbound work 24/7
- Specialty-trained models tuned for endocrine workflows
- A flexible layer that plugs into your EHR—and amplifies it
Endocrinologists deserve automation that works as hard as they do.
Honey Health delivers it.
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