Needs of bereaved families of patients with cancer towards artificial intelligence in palliative care: A web-based survey

Purpose

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems in palliative care have garnered attention and popularity in recent years. Understanding patient and family needs is crucial for developing and implementing AI systems in palliative care. Few studies in palliative care have focused on the demands of terminal patients with cancer and their families toward AI. This study aimed to explore the application of advanced AI in palliative care, focusing on high priority areas, while also analyzing bereaved relatives' perspectives on AI's role in supporting patients with cancer during end-of-life care.

Methods

We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey among bereaved family members of deceased patients with cancer. We explored the needs and opinions of the bereaved families regarding using AI for end-of-life care.

Results

We analyzed responses from 610 bereaved families. More than 80 % of mourning families wanted AI solutions that could offer the best approach to treat symptoms to health care providers, patients, or informal caregivers, with 79.7 % wishing for AI recommendations for discussions with health care providers. Furthermore, 74.4 % supported AI use in the medical field, while 79.7 % were concerned about accountability and 61.6 % about data leakage.

Conclusion

The survey found that development of AI solutions focusing on symptom management and facilitating discussion is the highest priority. Furthermore, this study suggested developing principles and guidance to ensure ethical AI usage is essential.