Opportunities and Challenges for Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence to Support Nurses: Results of a Survey of Nursing Informaticists.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence and other digital health technologies may optimize nurses' work. Therefore, we aimed to examine the roles of nurses in facilitating the adoption of digital health technologies and identify opportunities for these technologies to reduce burnout. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study focused on nurses' use of digital health and artificial intelligence technology with nursing informaticists. Data collection was guided by the implementation science framework, Non-Adoption, Abandonment, Scale-up, Spread, and Sustainability. Participants were recruited electronically through professional nursing informatics organizations. Survey data were analyzed using basic descriptive statistics. Fifty-two participants from across the United States completed the survey. Telehealth (73%), patient portals (71%), and medical-grade devices (69%) were most frequently used, whereas artificial intelligence was frequently used by only 38%. Staffing shortages (88%), low staff retention (81%), and inadequate support when adopting new technologies (52%) were among the key drivers of nursing burnout. Participants endorsed most nursing tasks as being supported by digital health, especially patient assessment and evaluating outcomes, and especially artificial intelligence. Engaging nurses early in the process of developing and deploying digital health, especially artificial intelligence, may help address burnout by producing more nursing-centered technologies and providing technology-enabled nursing work alternatives to bedside care.