Remote Therapy Monitoring Could Be Community Oncology’s Secret Weapon: Lekan Ajayi, PharmD

Remote therapy monitoring (RTM) has been around for some time, but Lekan Ajayi, PharmD, chief operating officer at Highlands Oncology Group, says its potential in community oncology is still being realized—and the stakes are high.

Speaking at the 2026 Community Oncology Conference in the session, “Turning RTM Into Results: Driving Clinical, Operational & Financial Wins for Better Patient Care,” Ajayi described RTM as a proactive infrastructure investment that allows practices to stay ahead of patient needs during active treatment. Patients with cancer, he noted, have uniquely complex and evolving care requirements, and RTM enables practices to anticipate adverse effects, keep patients adherent to their medications, reduce unnecessary emergency department visits, and ultimately drive better clinical outcomes.

“It’s about investing in an infrastructure within clinics that helps improve outcomes for patients,” he said.

A significant gap Ajayi identified is the lack of robust triage teams at many practices. Although building these teams requires meaningful upfront investment, he argued the long-term rewards—in patient outcomes and operational efficiency—clearly justify the cost. He also pointed to bispecifics as an emerging area where RTM will become especially critical, given the complexity of managing patients on these newer therapies.

Ajayi also addressed the role of health equity in care delivery. Disparities, he emphasized, must remain a constant lens through which community oncology practices evaluate their work. Whether a patient lives in rural Arkansas or Wyoming, the challenges manifest differently, but the obligation remains the same: getting the right patients the right medications at the right time. For lower socioeconomic populations, in particular, RTM can serve as a meaningful bridge, connecting patients to timely clinical support they might otherwise miss.

His overarching message was clear: RTM is not simply a billing tool or a technology add-on. When implemented with intention and backed by strong triage infrastructure and an equity-centered mindset, it becomes a clinical and operational strategy that elevates the entire standard of care in community oncology.