Why Oncology Is Becoming AI's Most Important Proving Ground

Jackie Njoroge is VP, Digital Transformation and Operational Excellence at US Oncology.

Healthcare is complex. Within healthcare, oncology is even more complex. A patient’s journey starts before the first appointment, with a referral that triggers the movement of records across multiple facilities and systems. By the time a patient sits down with an oncologist, the care team may have already navigated prior authorization and assembled clinical documentation from multiple sources. Then treatment begins, bringing coordination across providers and billing.​

I lead digital transformation and operational excellence for a physician-owned network that includes oncology and several specialty care disciplines. As we leverage technology to help enable better patient outcomes, we find that some of the most impactful AI work we are doing is happening where care is being delivered.​

Where AI Is Already Making a Difference

One of the first areas where we focused was ambient scribing. AI tools handle real-time documentation so that after the visit, the provider has an intelligently transcribed record ready for review and doesn’t have to spend significant time compiling notes by hand. The clinician still signs off on every note, but the process takes much less time and effort, so their attention can be entirely on the patient during the appointment. ​

We have also built AI tools for smart preparation before visits. If a provider is seeing 10 patients in a day, they need a concise summary of each patient before walking into the room, one that draws from records across multiple systems. What used to fall on the care team to pull together manually can now happen automatically through AI, giving time back to the care teams.​

AI is also changing how we approach billing and care navigation. The thoughtful use of AI in prior authorization and billing workflows can help streamline administrative processes and reduce the delays and friction patients may face at an already difficult time.​