Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on person-centered compassionate care: Implications for patients, families, and caregivers

Abstract

The healthcare landscape is undergoing a profound transformation driven by rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence, necessitating a focus on maintaining and enhancing person-centered compassionate care. This study explores AI's multifaceted impact of AI on compassionate care, considering its implications for patients, families, and caregivers. A mixed-methods approach, integrating a systematic literature review with exploratory descriptive qualitative inquiry, was employed to synthesize current evidence and understand stakeholder experiences. The findings reveal that AI technologies can significantly augment human capabilities, improving empathetic awareness, communication skills, and therapeutic interventions, thereby strengthening the therapeutic bond and enabling a "human-AI intelligent caring" system. This frees up clinicians' time for more dedicated interactions, optimizing care delivery, and improving patient outcomes. However, the integration of AI also presents critical ethical challenges, including concerns regarding data privacy, algorithmic bias, and potential erosion of trust. This study highlights the varying patient perceptions of AI empathy and the crucial role of healthcare professionals in educating stakeholders. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the effectiveness of AI-assisted learning, patient diversity, and scalable implementation. Ultimately, successful AI integration requires a balanced approach that leverages its strengths while rigorously addressing ethical considerations, understanding stakeholder impact, bridging existing knowledge gaps, and ensuring that AI enriches the human element of care.