AI-Driven Clinical Support Tools Show Promise in Alleviating Provider Burnout and Workflow Challenges

As oncology care becomes increasingly complex, clinicians are grappling with new guidelines, evolving therapies, and expanding technology—all while trying to deliver personalized, financially sustainable care. At the 2025 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), The American Journal of Managed Care® delved into these topics with Stephen Speicher, MD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist who serves as the senior medical director at Flatiron Health, and Kate Estep, who oversees development for Flatiron’s health care business as head of product.

The conversation explored shifting practices of oncology care: from fragmented point solutions to more deeply embedded technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI)–powered clinical decision support and ambient dictation tools.

“The biggest thing that I hear about constantly as I talk to other oncologists, as we talk to our providers, as I talk to my friends that are still practicing full time, is just this idea of burnout is so overwhelming,” Speicher shared. “And I think that for the first time, we're seeing technology as a true opportunity to impact burnout, and I think we desperately need it.”

Estep explained that discussions surrounding the pace of change in oncology care have been building for years, from the personalization of treatment to updates in guidelines. As technology has been increasingly implemented, it has also come with its own burdens, such as “point solution fatigue.” However, with the recent rise of AI and ambient technologies, such as integrated dictation tools, there is opportunity for smoother accessibility for oncologists to navigate electronic health records (EHRs) and extract structured insights from a vast amount of unstructured information.

“With any new technology, there's always a hype curve, but we're seeing a lot of promise in terms of the quality of some of the conversations that are actually happening between the physician and the patient, the way deep integration with your EHR can actually help this technology to deliver on its promise,” Estep said. “And that's really exciting as we think about the promise for patient care overall.”

Speicher emphasized how the experience of burnout among health professionals is consequential and pervasive. However, with recent advancements in these technologies, he said the industry is on the verge of making “significant changes and impacting the lives of our providers and ultimately impacting the lives of patients as well.”

“I think that's why we're seeing our practices so ready to adopt technology, ready to really lean into [AI], because they see this as their opportunity to make meaningful change in something that they're really scared about.”

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