Executive summary
For busy clinicians, the daily hunt for fast, trustworthy answers is a major source of friction. A new generation of AI clinical search tools promises to solve this by providing instant, synthesised answers with clear citations. This review provides a practical comparison of the leading platforms, examining their features, evidence, availability, and crucial UK/NHS fit.
At a glance, the market is diversifying. OpenEvidence is a rapidly scaling, US-centric, and heavily-funded platform that is free for verified healthcare professionals. Pathway (Pathway MD) is an app-first tool with a large global user base, focused on guideline summaries. In the UK, Medwise AI is positioning itself as an NHS-focused search tool with local guideline capabilities, while Praktiki is blending AI search with micro-CPD. As a UK-centric and free-for-all-users platform, iatroX provides citation-first answers from a curated library of UK-accepted guidance and peer-reviewed research, alongside an integrated learning and CPD system. For any NHS procurement, however, all tools must be evaluated against the DTAC baseline and clinical safety standards.
How to read this review
This guide provides a "jobs-to-be-done" framework for UK doctors, nurses, and paramedics. We compare tools based on five key criteria:
- Provenance & citations: Does it show its work?
- Coverage & localisation: Is it relevant to UK practice (NICE/CKS/SIGN/BNF) and local policies?
- Workflow: Does it have a good mobile app? Does it offer "in-visit" features?
- Availability & pricing: Is it free, freemium, or enterprise-only?
- Evidence & governance: What is its NHS/DTAC readiness? Are there peer-reviewed studies?
We are not covering imaging/diagnostics AI, coding/billing tools, or native EHR modules in this article.
Buyer’s guide (checklist)
- Does it cite primary sources (e.g., NICE, CKS, SIGN, or the BNF for UK care)?
- Is it available and licensed for your role and region (e.g., US-only verification vs. open UK access)?
- Can your nurses and paramedics use it on a mobile device, offline, or during ambulance handovers?
- Governance: For an NHS organisation, can the vendor provide a DTAC pack and clinical-safety artefacts (DCB0129/0160)?
- Evidence: Are there trials, case studies, or published evaluations (even early-stage ones)?
Tool-by-tool snapshots
1) OpenEvidence — review
- What it is: An AI-driven medical reference platform, free for verified US healthcare professionals. It is expanding rapidly, launching "Visits" for real-time, in-encounter intelligence.
- Notable signals (2025): A major $210m Series B funding round and announcements of "AI agents for physicians" signal aggressive expansion.
- Strengths for clinicians: Provides fast synthesis of peer-reviewed literature and has new "visit" workflows.
- Limitations for UK teams: The free access model is built on a US verification gate. Its knowledge base is global/US-centric, so UK guideline localisation is not its core feature.
- Best fit: UK clinicians who also hold US credentials or internationally-trained staff.
2) Pathway (Pathway MD) — review
- What it is: An app-first platform providing evidence summaries, interactive algorithms, and AI-powered answers. It claims a large user base of over 1 million clinicians.
- Strengths: A polished and popular mobile user experience, excellent for navigating guideline pathways and algorithms.
- Limitations: Local policy integration is not a core feature, and its UK-specific governance (DTAC/DCB) is not explicitly positioned on its public pages.
- Best fit: Rotational doctors, nurses, and paramedics who want quick, algorithmic overviews on a mobile device.
3) iatroX — review
- What it is: A UK-centric clinical AI assistant and knowledge centre. It uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) over a gated "walled garden" of UK-accepted guidance and peer-reviewed research. It provides citation-first answers on web, iOS, and Android.
- Evidence: A 2025 mixed-methods evaluation (pre-print) reports positive user-perceived usefulness, reliability, and specific value for its UK focus.
- Strengths: It is completely free for all users. Its answers are designed to help users navigate to UK sources (like NICE, CKS, and SIGN). It also has integrated CPD logging and an adaptive, spaced-repetition Quiz for trainees.
- Limitations: As a free tool, its enterprise-level integration (EHR/SSO) roadmap is not public.
- Best fit: UK GPs, nurses (primary/community care), paramedics, and trainees who need fast, UK-relevant answers and integrated CPD/learning tools.
4) Medwise AI — review
- What it is: A UK-focused clinical search engine that explicitly includes "Research" and "Drug" modes (using UK SPCs/Tariffs). It claims use across over 1,000 NHS organisations and has an NHS login option.
- Evidence: The platform is backed by an Innovate UK case study, and its utility in helping clinicians rapidly access local knowledge has been mentioned in peer-reviewed publications.
- Strengths: Strong positioning for the NHS, with a key feature being its ability to index and search local Trust guidance and formularies.
- Limitations: As an enterprise-first tool, public information on its retrieval and citation pipeline is limited. You must verify its DTAC and clinical-safety artefacts during procurement.
- Best fit: NHS Trusts and ICSs who want a single search layer across both national and their own local policies.
5) Praktiki — review
- What it is: An AI-powered CPD microlearning app for doctors. It delivers 5-minute, real-world cases and short quizzes, and is positioned as a learning and retention tool rather than a pure search engine.
- Strengths: "Snackable," cased-based learning that fits into a busy schedule. It complements search tools by improving knowledge retention and offers FourteenFish integration for GPs.
- Limitations: It is not a comprehensive clinical Q&A tool for point-of-care reference.
- Best fit: Clinicians, including nurses and paramedics, who want to build a consistent, daily micro-learning habit.
Comparison matrix
| Tool | Primary Value Prop | UK Guideline Focus | Availability/Pricing | Key Evidence & Signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iatroX | UK-centric RAG, Citations, CPD/Quiz | Excellent (NICE/CKS/SIGN-routed) | Free for all users | 2025 arXiv evaluation; UKCA-marked |
| Medwise AI | NHS Clinical Search (inc. Local) | Excellent (incl. local policy) | Enterprise/SaaS | Innovate UK case study; 1000+ NHS orgs (claimed) |
| OpenEvidence | AI Evidence Synthesis | Low (US-centric) | Free (Verified US HCPs) | $210m Series B; "Visits" feature |
| Pathway (MD) | Guideline Summaries & Algorithms | Neutral (Global) | Freemium/Tiers (App) | "1M+ clinicians" (claimed) |
| Praktiki | AI CPD Microlearning | Good (UK-focused cases) | Freemium/Partnership | "6,000+ clinicians" (claimed); Antler-backed |
Workflows by role (doctors, nurses, paramedics)
- Doctors (GP/ED/acute): Use iatroX or Medwise AI for UK/NICE-grounded answers. Use Pathway for quick algorithms on mobile.
- Nurses (wards, community): Use Medwise AI for its ability to search local NHS context and policies, or iatroX for its broad guideline-linked Q&A and CPD logging.
- Paramedics: Need mobile-first access and concise red-flag guidance. Pathway's algorithms and iatroX's UK-specific summaries are both strong fits.
Governance & evidence (UK/NHS perspective)
- Check DTAC: Before any trust-wide deployment, you must check the tool's DTAC status and review its DCB0129/0160 clinical-safety case.
- Favour "citation-first" designs: To ensure safety and build trust, prioritise tools that provide explicit links to primary sources like NICE, CKS, SIGN, and the BNF.
- Look for real-world evaluations: Ask vendors for any published case studies, audits, or prospective pilots.
FAQs
- Which AI clinical search tools are free for UK clinicians?
- iatroX is completely free for all users, with a UK-centric focus. Praktiki has a free "core learning" tier. OpenEvidence is free, but its verification is targeted at US healthcare professionals.
- Which is the most UK-specific?
- iatroX is designed from the ground up with a UK-gated corpus that helps users navigate to national guidance. Medwise AI is also UK-focused, with a key differentiator being its ability to search local NHS policies for enterprise clients.
- Is Praktiki a search engine?
- It is primarily a CPD micro-learning platform that has added an AI search function, making it a hybrid tool for both learning and look-ups.