By Dan Nardi, CEO, Reimagine Care
As we close the chapter on 2025, one thing is clear: oncology is no longer debating whether AI belongs in care delivery. The question now is how we deploy it responsibly, at scale, in ways that measurably improve outcomes for patients and clinicians alike. Based on what we’ve seen firsthand – and the direction the broader oncology ecosystem is heading – I believe 2026 will be a defining year for how cancer care is delivered.
Here are five predictions shaping the year ahead.
Hybrid oncology care will become the default, not the exception.
Cancer care will increasingly extend beyond clinic walls. In 2026, leading cancer centers won’t think in terms of “in-person versus virtual”– they’ll think in terms of continuous care. Symptom monitoring, triage, education, and follow-up will happen between visits, not just during them. Hybrid models that blend AI-enabled virtual support, like Reimagine Care’s Remi, with in-clinic treatment will be the standard for scaling capacity while maintaining quality.
Preventable hospitalizations will be treated as a solvable systems problem.
Avoidable emergency department visits and hospital admissions have long been accepted as inevitable in oncology. That mindset is changing. In 2026, health systems will increasingly measure success by how effectively they anticipate and intervene before symptoms escalate. Real-time monitoring, predictive insights, and rapid response will move from “nice to have” innovations to core operating capabilities.
AI will be judged less by novelty and more by trust.
The AI hype cycle is over. What matters now is performance, reliability, and alignment with clinical workflows. In oncology especially, tools that feel opaque, intrusive, or disconnected from care teams won’t survive. The most successful AI solutions in 2026 will be those that clinicians trust because they are transparent, evidence-based, and designed to augment – not replace – human expertise.
Workforce shortages will force structural redesign, not incremental fixes.
Oncology’s workforce challenges aren’t temporary, and 2026 will make that undeniable. Rather than asking clinicians to work harder or faster, organizations will redesign care models so teams can work at the top of their license. AI will absorb routine tasks, documentation, and triage, allowing oncologists and nurses to focus on complex decision-making and patient relationships. This isn’t about efficiency alone – it’s about sustainability and reducing time toxicity.
Patient experience will become a competitive differentiator.
Patients have tasted what responsive, always-available care feels like, and they won’t go back. In 2026, access, responsiveness, and continuity will shape where patients choose to receive care. Cancer programs that offer proactive outreach, faster answers, and support that meets patients where they are will stand apart. Importantly, this shift also advances equity by extending high-quality oncology support to patients who historically faced access barriers.
The throughline across all of these predictions is a simple truth. The future of oncology is not less human, it’s more. That’s because technology is finally mature enough to shoulder the operational burden that has pulled clinicians away from patients for too long. In 2026, the organizations that succeed will be those that use AI to create space for empathy, expertise, and connection at scale.
That’s the oncology future we’re building toward.