“Virtual Specialists”: How AI Can Improve Risk Stratification, Clinical Support and Remote Monitoring in Palliative Care
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Palliative care faces significant challenges, including staff shortages, clinical uncertainty and delayed recognition of patient deterioration.We here explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can act as a "virtual specialist" to assist healthcare providers in making better decisions, assessing patient risk and monitoring symptoms in hospital and home-based settings.It examines how AI tools such as machine learning, natural language processing and device-integrated monitoring can improve predictions about patient decline, guide treatment decisions and enhance symptom management.There is a special focus on how AI can identify and alert transitions from stable to unstable health states and assist mid-level clinicians in managing complex cases where specialist support may be limited.We discuss key barriers to implementation, including AI's reduced accuracy in patients with multiple illnesses, the need for transparency in complex ethical decisions and the importance of integrating AI tools into clinical workflows to support rather than replace human judgment.When designed responsibly, AI can help expand access to quality palliative care and improve patient outcomes, particularly in resource-limited environments.
Authors: Julian Lloyd Bruce, Ernst R. Von Schwarz, Laurent Cleenewerck de Kiev, Zerai Hagos
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4414967606
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