COA emphasizes importance of supporting digital transformation in community settings to achieve goals for quality, health outcomes, access, and affordability
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, February 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) has submitted formal comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the Request for Information: Accelerating the Adoption and Use of Artificial Intelligence as Part of Clinical Care (RFI).
Recognizing the role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in clinical care and the ongoing momentum around its use, COA established an AI and Digital Transformation Task Force. COA’s feedback and recommendations are informed by this task force of community oncologists and practice leaders who are actively adopting AI within their practices.
“The digital transformation required to integrate AI into clinical care is substantial, necessitating not only financial investment but also significant time and human resources. Implementing AI solutions involves a steep learning curve and the adaptation of existing workflows, which can overwhelm small practices with limited personnel and financial bandwidth,” said Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, FASCO, president of COA. “Without proper incentives, the risks may outweigh the potential benefits, making it especially challenging for community practices to engage in this essential evolution.”
Read COA’s comment letter on Accelerating the Adoption and Use of AI as Part of Clinical Care
In the comment letter, COA provides guidance on some of the most pressing considerations facing independent community oncology regarding the adoption of AI, including:
• Barriers to innovation in AI for health care and its adoption and use in clinical care. There are several barriers limiting the adoption of AI in clinical care, including financial barriers and resource constraints, uncertainty regarding regulatory expectations and accountability for non-device AI tools, and limited access to interoperable data across care settings. Without targeted federal guidance, incentives, and technical assistance, AI adoption risks becoming concentrated in only the largest health systems – undermining broader policy goals of scalable innovation in health care delivery.
• Strategies to incentivize the adoption of AI. HHS should consider several strategies to incentivize the adoption of AI and support digital transformation in clinical care. COA recommends a multifaceted approach that focuses on financial incentives and infrastructure development, training and partnerships, regulatory streamlining, and reimbursement.
• The use and potential of AI tools in practice. Tools that provide interactive clinical decision-making support have the potential to improve health care outcomes, provide new insights into quality, and reduce costs. Community oncologists are using AI tools in many ways, including clinical decision-making support and to reduce administrative burden. AI applications also include cancer detection, screening, diagnosis, tumor analysis, biomarker assessment, and drug discovery.
• Patient and caregiver concerns. Patients and caregivers generally support the use of technology that improves access, reduces delays, and enhances coordination of care. At the same time, they value transparency, strong privacy protections, and continued human clinical oversight. Policies that reinforce these expectations will be essential to sustaining trust in the use of AI in clinical care.
Read COA’s full comment letter here: https://mycoa.communityoncology.org/publications/comment-letters/coa-comments-on-accelerating-the-adoption-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence-as-part-of-clinical-care-rfi
Drew Lovejoy
Community Oncology Alliance
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