Community Oncology Alliance launches AI playbook for oncology practices

The Community Oncology Alliance has released a practical AI Playbook for independent community oncology practices as clinics face growing pressure to adopt artificial intelligence in clinical and business workflows. The resource is meant to help practices evaluate vendors, manage risk and govern AI use, with a webinar series set to begin July 8.

Why it matters: - Independent community oncology practices are being pushed to decide whether AI can improve documentation, navigation, call center operations, prior authorization and revenue cycle work. - The Playbook is meant to help practices adopt AI without creating new problems around workflow disruption, patient privacy, cybersecurity, staff adoption, data ownership and regulatory uncertainty. - The resource is designed for practices that need a practical framework, not a vendor pitch.

What happened: - The Community Oncology Alliance on June 25 announced the release of its AI Playbook for independent community oncology practices. - COA’s AI & Digital Transformation Committee developed the Playbook based on firsthand experience evaluating and implementing AI technologies in independent community oncology settings. - COA said the Playbook helps practice leaders identify operational challenges, evaluate technology opportunities, manage risk and implement new tools in a disciplined, measurable way. - COA made the Playbook available at the AI Playbook.

The details: - The Playbook covers identifying and prioritizing AI use cases. - It includes guidance on governance and accountability structures. - It addresses vendor evaluation and contract terms. - It covers cybersecurity and patient data considerations. - It includes planning, measuring and scaling pilot programs. - It also prepares practices for future policy and regulatory developments. - COA said the Playbook is intended to be a living resource that will evolve as technologies mature, regulations change and practices gain implementation experience.

Between the lines: - COA is trying to shape AI adoption in community oncology before practices lock into tools that may not fit their workflows or compliance needs. - The emphasis on governance, contracts and measurable pilots suggests the main challenge is not only picking AI tools, but proving they add value safely. - A living-resource model gives COA room to update guidance as the regulatory environment changes.

What's next: - COA will launch a webinar series on the Playbook’s key concepts. - The first webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, at 3 p.m. ET. - Future webinars will go deeper on individual sections and include real-world implementation experiences from community oncology leaders. - COA said members of the AI & Digital Transformation Committee and other industry leaders will take part.

The bottom line: - COA is giving community oncology practices a playbook for deciding when AI is worth using, how to govern it and how to scale it responsibly.