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The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) has formally submitted its official response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Request for Information on the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical care.
In developing this response, the Academy actively solicited member feedback to ensure that the perspectives most consistently conveyed by O&P professionals informed our submission.
The Academy’s response reinforces our commitment to ensuring that federal AI policy:
- Protects patient safety and practitioner clinical judgment
- Establishes clear regulatory and privacy safeguards
- Aligns reimbursement frameworks with innovation and value
- Prevents inappropriate use of AI in claims adjudication and prior authorization
- Supports research specific to orthotic and prosthetic populations
- Reduces documentation burden while maintaining accountability
The Academy emphasized that AI has meaningful potential to improve device fit, reduce fall risk, enhance monitoring, and support documentation efficiency — but only when implemented with appropriate guardrails, transparency, and meaningful human oversight.
We also urged HHS to ensure that payer use of AI tools in claims and prior authorization processes includes robust transparency, maintains peer-to-peer review access, and accountability to prevent inappropriate denials that could jeopardize patient outcomes and timeliness of patient care.
Artificial intelligence policy is evolving rapidly. It is essential that orthotic and prosthetic expertise informs federal frameworks so that innovation strengthens — rather than undermines — equitable access to high-quality care.
Read the full response.
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