How emerging technologies will shape the future of oncology care: Perspectives from our latest Oncology Insights report

The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has become impossible to avoid, dominating news headlines, conference agendas and social media newsfeeds in recent months. And, with total private and public sector investment expected to reach $6.6 billion by 2021 according to Forbes, it’s clear that AI has the potential to significantly transform the future of healthcare. However, while much of the buzz in healthcare technology is focused on AI, it’s just one of several emerging tools that are changing patient care. Wearable devices, microchipped drug capsules and gamification apps that reward players for engaging in healthy behaviors are all demonstrating promising results.

What are the greatest opportunities for leveraging these technologies to improve clinical outcomes? Can they be used to encourage patient engagement in healthy behaviors? What are the potential risks? To understand the perspectives of community oncologists on the growing role of these technologies and their potential impact, Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions surveyed more than 180 oncologists nationwide for the latest edition of our Oncology Insights report series. The results demonstrate optimism and growing interest in the potential of these technologies to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes.

Here are some of the key findings and the implications for your practice:

• More than half of oncologists (53 percent) are excited about the role AI may play in supporting care and enhancing practice efficiency.
• One quarter of oncologists (27 percent) cited identifying best treatment paths for patients (27 percent) as a top benefit of AI.
• More than half of oncologists said that AI is likely to help improve quality of care, improve clinical outcomes and drive operational efficiencies.

Although AI is not being widely used in oncology care to date and 53 percent of oncologists are not familiar with its use in healthcare, the same percentage are excited about its potential to impact oncology care. Additionally, more than one-third (36 percent) say that a considerable number of practices are likely to adopt AI tools in the next few years. These findings indicate that broad adoption of these tools in community practices is possible. In order to implement these solutions, practices will need to have a thorough understanding of their data sources and should consider what data points will be most relevant.

As more precision treatments come to market and treatment regimens become more tailored to individual patients, clinical decision making has become increasingly complex. The optimistic response to AI shows physicians are hopeful that AI can be used to support treatment decisions for patients and deliver more actionable insights than are currently available through predictive analytics tools.

• More than half of oncologists (51 percent) say they see value in using gamification tools and wearables to encourage patients to have healthy behaviors.
• Oncologists cited driving healthy lifestyle choices (47 percent) and supporting medication adherence (17 percent) as the greatest opportunities for gamification to improve patient care.

Thanks to advancements in cancer treatment, the population of cancer survivors continues to grow, and cancer mortality continues to decline. The National Institutes of Health reports that cancer mortality rates declined for all cancer types among adults and children from 1999-2016 and the number of cancer survivors is projected to increase by nearly 30 percent over the next 10 years. Oncologists are also now being held accountable for the outcomes of these survivors in a value-based reimbursement environment. Gamification tools and apps may be a solution for helping to monitor the health of cancer survivors and encourage healthy behaviors, which can in turn help to drive better outcomes.

Additionally, as oral oncology treatments become more and more commonplace, ensuring that patients adhere to medication regimens is critical. 45 percent of oncologists said they are hopeful that gamification tools can be used to improve medication use and drive better adherence to treatment regimens.

Access the full report here

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