The German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM) and Elsevier have announced a new partnership to support the use of artificial intelligence in internal medicine. Healthcare systems are under growing pressure due to rising patient volumes, increasingly complex conditions, and reduced time available per case. In response to these challenges, AI is becoming more important. DGIM and Elsevier stated that their collaboration is intended to demonstrate how digital technologies can support physicians and strengthen the quality of care.
The partnership is centered on the use of AI-supported decision support directly in everyday clinical practice. As part of the agreement, DGIM members will receive one year of access to Elsevier’s solution ClinicalKey AI, a digital tool designed to make medical knowledge quickly accessible and clearly structured.
Elsevier and DGIM have worked together for many years. Elsevier has been a corporate member of DGIM since 2014, and DGIM has more than 30,000 members, making it one of the largest medical and scientific organizations in Europe. Until now, the two organizations have focused their joint activities on topics including digital transformation, innovation, and sustainability.
DGIM and Elsevier stated that the new initiative moves beyond discussion by introducing AI directly into routine clinical practice. The need for information is especially high in internal medicine, where guidelines, studies, and therapeutic approaches continue to evolve. Physicians are required to continuously learn, evaluate information, and make decisions, often under significant time pressure.
The announcement stated that AI-supported solutions can assist by providing relevant information more quickly and presenting it in a clear and structured format. It also noted that trust is essential, with studies showing that physicians are generally open to artificial intelligence but expect transparency, precision, and professional reliability. Solutions described as black box solutions without traceable sources are met with skepticism.
Elsevier’s ClinicalKey AI was presented as addressing this concern by drawing on a curated collection of guidelines, books, journal articles, and drug databases. The tool provides referenced answers, allowing information to be verified. An interdisciplinary panel of experts is also stated as regularly reviewing the quality of the content.
The partnership stated that the purpose of ClinicalKey AI is not to replace physicians, but to support them with fast, structured, and evidence-based information. Ahead of the official launch in early 2026, ClinicalKey AI was tested by a group of DGIM members. Feedback was reported as especially positive among younger internists, who valued the ability to clarify complex questions more quickly and integrate new scientific developments more easily into daily work.
DGIM and Elsevier stated that the partnership reflects a shared goal of ensuring medicine remains evidence-based, high-quality, and patient-centered despite increasing demands in everyday practice. Artificial intelligence was described as a tool to make knowledge more readily available and support more confident decision-making.
The partnership was described as more than a technical project and positioned as an example of how medical societies, science, and technology providers can work together to shape the future of healthcare.
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