Will Generational Divide Among Oncologists Affect How AI Changes Cancer Care?

Burnout among oncologists is a serious concern, and artificial intelligence (AI) represents a potential solution, says Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, a practicing oncologist and breast cancer specialist in Austin, Texas, who also serves as the chair of the AI task force for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Technological advances are poised to improve cancer care while reducing the documentation burden for oncologists, she tells Robert A. Figlin, MD, the interim director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer in Los Angeles, and Steven Spielberg Family Chair in Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Patt describes the various practical ways in which AI is already changing oncology clinics, but acknowledges a generational divide that will need to be bridged: “I would say that the youngest generation of oncologists that is coming out, they are digital natives. They have grown up with this,” she explains. But for those who have been in practice longer, “Change management for us looks a little bit different than it does for the younger generation of oncologists that just sort of do this naturally.”

Dr. Patt reported no relevant financial disclosures.

Dr. Figlin reported various financial relationships.