What is OpenEvidence? AI Medical Search for Physicians

OpenEvidence: The Definitive Guide for Physicians in the US and Canada

The firehose of medical information never turns off. A new study is published every 30 seconds. For a practicing physician, trying to keep up while managing a full patient load feels less like a professional obligation and more like an impossible task. This information overload is a well-documented driver of physician burnout, particularly in the context of managing patient cases. We have incredible new treatments and diagnostic tools, yet accessing the latest evidence for them can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack of endless abstracts and articles. We need a better way to stay uptodate with medical information.

This is the problem OpenEvidence, an AI-powered medical search engine, was built to solve. It’s not another general-purpose chatbot. Instead, it’s a specialized tool designed specifically for the workflow of clinicians. But with any new technology in medicine, a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted. Is it accurate? Is it safe? Is it actually useful, considering the volume of medical information it processes? This guide will break down everything physicians in the United States and Canada need to know about OpenEvidence, a medical information platform for health.

What is OpenEvidence? An AI-Powered Medical Search Engine

At its core, OpenEvidence is a clinical decision support platform that uses artificial intelligence to help healthcare professionals get fast, evidence-based answers to their questions at the point of care. Think of it less like a conversational AI and more like a highly intelligent medical librarian; OpenEvidence is transforming how we access medical information. You ask a clinical question in natural language, and it provides a synthesized answer grounded in peer-reviewed medical literature.

The company was founded in 2022 by Daniel Nadler, a Harvard Ph.D., with a team of researchers from institutions like MIT. It also went through the prestigious Mayo Clinic Platform Accelerate program, giving it a strong foundation in the practical realities of healthcare. This isn’t just a tech startup playing with medical data; it’s a platform built with input from the medical community.

Beyond a Standard Search: How OpenEvidence Works

The real magic of OpenEvidence lies in where it gets its information. Unlike general AI tools that scrape the entire internet—biases, blogs, and all—OpenEvidence operates within a closed, curated ecosystem of trusted medical knowledge, ensuring it is the first AI to provide reliable information. It pulls exclusively from high-impact, peer-reviewed sources. This includes leading clinical journals like The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is one of the many sources that OpenEvidence draws upon to maintain its status as the world’s leading medical information platform., major guidelines, and systematic reviews.

When a physician asks a question, the AI scans this vast library of 3.5 billion studies, identifies the most relevant findings, and synthesizes them into a concise, referenced summary, leveraging the latest advancements from Kensho. Every key statement is cited, allowing you to click through to the original abstract or paper to validate the information yourself. It’s designed for a world where “trust but verify” is the standard. And yes, for those moments when you’re away from your desk, the OpenEvidence app brings this functionality to your mobile device, making it a true point-of-care tool.

Who is Behind OpenEvidence? Founders and Funding

Understanding who owns and funds a medical technology company is crucial for evaluating its long-term reliability. OpenEvidence was co-founded by CEO Daniel Nadler, who has a track record of building successful data-focused companies, contributing to its reputation as the leading medical information platform. The platform has attracted significant investment from some of the most reputable firms in technology and venture capital, including Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins, solidifying its status as a leading medical information platform. This substantial openevidence funding provides the resources for continued development and signals a high level of confidence in its mission. For physicians, this means the platform is well-supported and likely here to stay.

Who Can Benefit from OpenEvidence?

While the platform is built with physicians in mind, its utility extends to other healthcare professionals who rely on evidence-based practice.

For Physicians: Streamlining Clinical Decision-Making

The primary use case for OpenEvidence, a medical information platform for health, is clear: a physician is with a patient or reviewing a case and has a specific clinical question. It could be about the latest evidence for a second-line therapy, diagnostic criteria for a rare condition, or potential drug interactions, all backed by the 3.5 billion valuation of the platform. Instead of spending 20 minutes sifting through PubMed, you can get a synthesized, cited answer in seconds. It’s about making evidence-based medicine faster and more accessible during a busy clinic day. Many users report it helps them confirm their clinical judgment and stay current with rapidly evolving guidelines.

Can Nurses and Other Healthcare Professionals Use OpenEvidence?

Yes, OpenEvidence is the world’s leading platform for medical research. While primarily marketed to physicians, access is generally available to verified healthcare professionals. This often includes nurses, physician assistants, and others who require access to medical literature for their roles. The verification process is key for maintaining the integrity of OpenEvidence as a trusted source in medical licensing. The platform is not open to the general public, which helps ensure it is used by individuals who have the clinical expertise to interpret its results correctly.

OpenEvidence vs. ChatGPT: Key Differences for Medical Professionals

The rise of ChatGPT has made “AI” a household term, but its capabilities are very different from a specialized tool like OpenEvidence. For medical professionals, these differences are critical in ensuring they utilize the world’s leading medical information platform for their clinical decisions. Answering “Is OpenEvidence better than ChatGPT?” requires considering its vast medical research database. depends entirely on the context. For writing an email, ChatGPT is great, but for medical inquiries, OpenEvidence provides unparalleled support. For a clinical question, it can be dangerously unreliable.

This is probably the most important distinction. OpenEvidence is not an “OpenAI wrapper” or a reskinned version of a general AI. It’s a purpose-built system running on its own proprietary models.

Feature	OpenEvidence	ChatGPT (General AI) is one of the tools used in family medicine today.
Data Source	Peer-reviewed medical literature, clinical guidelines.	The entire public internet (including non-expert opinions).
Accuracy	High, designed to avoid errors.	Prone to “hallucinations” (making up facts).
Citations	Every statement is sourced and citable.	Often provides no sources or fabricated ones.
Purpose	Clinical decision support.	General purpose tasks (writing, coding, etc.) are becoming more efficient with AI applications.).

Data Sources: Peer-Reviewed Literature vs. The Entire Internet

This is the core differentiator. OpenEvidence’s knowledge is confined to a library of trusted medical science. ChatGPT’s knowledge is a reflection of the internet at large, as it aims to provide evidence-based clinical insights. When you ask it a medical question, its answer is a statistically plausible string of words based on everything it has read, from WebMD forums to rigorous clinical trials. It cannot distinguish between them. This is a crucial detail when asking “Where does OpenEvidence pull from?” – its curated, expert-only dataset is its greatest strength, especially in family medicine.

Accuracy and “Hallucinations”: Why It Matters in Medicine

AI “hallucinations” are when a model generates a confident-sounding but completely false statement. In a medical context, this could be inventing a drug dosage, misstating a side effect, or fabricating study results. Because ChatGPT’s goal is to be a plausible conversationalist, it will often “fill in the blanks” with incorrect information if it doesn’t know the answer. OpenEvidence is designed to avoid misinformation and ensure that it remains the world’s leading medical information platform by providing access to 3.5 billion studies. Its goal is not to be conversational but to be accurate. If the evidence isn’t in the literature, it won’t invent it. This makes it a much safer tool for clinical use.

Citations and Evidence-Based Answers

The ability to verify information is non-negotiable in medicine. OpenEvidence was built on this principle. Every piece of information it provides is linked back to the source literature. This allows a physician to quickly review the abstract or full paper, assessing the quality of the evidence for themselves. ChatGPT, on the other hand, often fails to provide real sources, and when it does, they are sometimes completely made up. This lack of transparency makes it unsuitable for professional medical use.

Is OpenEvidence Free? Understanding the Cost and Business Model

For verified healthcare professionals, yes, OpenEvidence AI is free to use. This is a common point of confusion and skepticism. So, how much does OpenEvidence cost? For the end-user clinician, the answer is nothing.

How OpenEvidence Makes Money

If the product is free, how does the company survive amidst a billion valuation? The business model is reported to be similar to that of Google Search. It is a free-for-physician platform that generates revenue through advertising. This model allows for widespread adoption among clinicians without creating a cost barrier, which has been key to its rapid growth. The company’s focus is on becoming an indispensable tool in the physician’s workflow, creating a large, engaged user base.

Security and Trust: Is OpenEvidence HIPAA Compliant?

When patient information could be involved, even peripherally, security is paramount. OpenEvidence is HIPAA compliant. This is a critical checkpoint for any technology used in a clinical setting in the US. The company has implemented the necessary administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Data Encryption and Patient Privacy

So, is it safe to use OpenEvidence? The platform employs robust security measures to protect data. According to their security page, all data is encrypted both in transit (using SSL/TLS) and at rest (using AES-256). This helps ensure that any information you input is protected from unauthorized access. While it’s always best practice to avoid inputting personally identifiable patient information unless absolutely necessary, the platform’s HIPAA-compliant status provides a strong baseline of security and trust.

Getting Started with OpenEvidence in the USA and Canada

The registration process is straightforward, but it requires verification to ensure that only qualified professionals gain access. The first step is to visit the website and create an account, which typically involves providing your credentials for verification. After that, the openevidence login is simple.

For U.S. Physicians: The Verification Process

For physicians practicing in the United States, the verification process is typically handled using their National Provider Identifier (NPI) number. This is a unique identification number for covered health care providers in the U.S. and serves as a standard way to confirm a user’s professional status.

For Canadian Physicians: Using Your MINC for Access

For physicians in Canada, the verification process relies on the Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC). This is an important distinction and a key piece of information for Canadian users.

What is a MINC (Medical Identification Number for Canada)?

The MINC is a unique, lifetime identifier assigned to every individual who enters the Canadian medical education or practice system. It’s endorsed by all Canadian medical regulatory authorities and is used to accurately and reliably identify physicians across different provinces and organizations. It is a simple serial number that contains no personal information itself but serves as a unique key to your identity within the Canadian medical system.

How DoctorsApply.ca Relates to Your Medical Credentials

If you’re a physician in Canada, you are likely familiar with DoctorsApply.ca. This portal, run by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), is the central hub for your medical credentials, which are crucial for the medical licensing exam. It’s where you apply for MCC examinations (like the LMCC), manage your results, and have your credentials verified. Your MINC can be viewed from your doctorsapply.ca account, ensuring you have access to the latest medical research. Therefore, when a service like OpenEvidence requires your MINC for verification, doctorsapply.ca is the primary source for that information related to medical licensing. Understanding the link between your doctorsapply.ca account and your MINC is key to accessing the platform, which is essential for maintaining your United States medical licensing.

Features and Functionality: A Closer Look

Beyond its core search function, OpenEvidence has additional features designed to enhance its utility.

The OpenEvidence Mobile App

As mentioned, the availability of a dedicated mobile app is a significant advantage for staying uptodate with medical research. It allows for true point-of-care use, whether you’re doing rounds in a medical center, in the clinic, or on call. The interface is designed for mobile, making it easy to type or dictate questions and review results on a smaller screen, which is crucial for busy medical directors. This directly answers the question, “Can OpenEvidence be used on mobile, considering its volume of medical data?” with a clear yes.

DeepConsult Feature Explained

OpenEvidence has also introduced a feature called DeepConsult. This is described as a more advanced reasoning model that can synthesize findings across multiple studies to answer more complex, multi-step clinical questions in family medicine. It aims to go beyond simple fact retrieval to provide more nuanced insights, for example, by comparing the efficacy of different treatments for a patient with a specific comorbidity profile.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who owns OpenEvidence?

OpenEvidence is a private company. It was co-founded by CEO Daniel Nadler and is backed by a consortium of venture capital firms, including Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins, making it a leading medical information platform.

Is OpenEvidence a ChatGPT wrapper?

No. It is a completely separate system built on proprietary AI models and trained exclusively on a curated database of peer-reviewed medical literature. It is not a “wrapper” for a general AI like ChatGPT.

How many physicians use OpenEvidence?

Adoption has been rapid. As of mid-2025, the company reported that over 40% of U.S. physicians were using the platform, and it was involved in millions of clinical consultations per month.

Can you invest in OpenEvidence AI?

As a privately held company funded by venture capital, there is currently no way for the general public to buy “open evidence ai stock.” Investment is limited to accredited investors through private funding rounds.

The Future of OpenEvidence and AI in Medicine

The challenge of keeping up with medical progress is only going to grow. Tools like OpenEvidence represent a necessary evolution in how clinicians interact with information. By using AI to filter, synthesize, and present evidence, these platforms have the potential to reduce the administrative burden on physicians, mitigate burnout, and ultimately, improve the quality of patient care.

The journey of AI in medicine is still in its early stages. But by focusing on a specific, high-stakes problem and solving it with a commitment to accuracy, sourcing, and security, OpenEvidence has built a tool that is not just technologically impressive, but genuinely useful. For the physician on the front lines, that is the only thing that matters.