Literature Review

Factoring in the human side of robotics The Journal of Healthcare Contracting; by R. Dana Barlow... If incorporating robots in supply chain becomes the norm, and many believe it will be the case, then supply chain executives, leaders, managers and professionals must come to grips with any reservations they might have. How to accomplish that depends on the individual and the corporate culture in which he or she serves and works. ... “We’re in healthcare. Continuous improvement and innovation are a big part of the Memorial Hermann culture,” he told The Journal of Healthcare Contracting. “We have our caregivers, physicians, nurses. They’re always looking for new, innovative ways to deliver great patient care. ..."Editor's Notes: Are supply chain executives admonished to "come to grips with any reservations they might have," or should they--do they--listen, learn from, and incorporate valid reservations into their development and use of robotics? I do not assume to have answers--for the sake of delivering "great patient care"--I simply ask the glaring question.

Can AI hear when patients are ready for palliative care? Researchers use AI to analyze patient phone calls for vocal cues predicting palliative care acceptance Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Hoag Levins; 2/24/26 A new study suggests artificial intelligence (AI) may help clinicians identify which seriously ill patients are ready for palliative care — by analyzing the energy, pitch, and other subtle vocal cues in recorded group phone conversations among patients, caregivers, and health care providers. The new work by a team led by LDI Senior Fellow and Penn Nursing School Assistant Professor Jiyoun Song, PhD, APRN, is the first to use speech processing to identify palliative care preferences during discussions and decision-making in managed long-term care (MLTC), a type of Medicaid-managed care for community-dwelling patients that need home and community-based services.

Reimagining Hospice with Agentic and Generative AI1520ai press release; by Ernesto Lopez; 1/8/26...Agentic AI moves beyond task automation. It introduces systems that can reason over time, track evolving conditions, and coordinate actions across clinical, operational, and compliance domains. In a hospice setting, this means AI can move from being a documentation assistant to functioning as a continuous support layer. An agentic system can review clinical documentation as it is created, recognize patterns that suggest risk or change in trajectory, and surface insights proactively. It can coordinate care activities, prompt timely follow-up, and support consistency across interdisciplinary teams.Publisher's Note: An interesting article introducing AI terminology from a hospice perspective.

Natural language processing to assess palliative care processes and health care utilization in seriously ill older adults with severe traumaJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Daniel I Hoffman, Sydney Moore, Mengyuan Ruan, Masami Tabata-Kelly, Kate Sciacca, Tamryn F Gray, Stuart R Lipsitz, Christine S Ritchie, Charlotta Lindvall, Zara Cooper; 12/25National guidelines recommend palliative care (PC) alongside life-sustaining treatment for older adults with severe trauma. However, outcomes associated with PC for these patients are not well-defined... Natural language processing was used to measure documentation of five inpatient PC processes: code status limitations, goals-of-care (GOC) conversations, hospice discussions, PC consultations, and health care proxy designations... PC was not associated with reduced health care utilization in older adults after trauma but was associated with one-year hospice enrollment. GOC conversations, specialty PC, and inpatient hospice discussions had low utilization, highlighting target areas for improvements in care delivery.

How to build an AI-augmented workforce: The CIO's guide TechTarget; by Kinza Yasar; 1/5/26 As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries, forward-thinking CIOs are shifting their strategies from automation-first to augmentation-first. Their goal is to equip employees with AI tools that strengthen their judgment, spark creativity and boost productivity. In an AI-augmented workforce, humans and AI systems work collaboratively, not competitively. Rather than replacing employees, AI is used to enhance human capabilities, automate routine tasks and provide insights that help people make more informed decisions and focus on higher-value work. 

The overlooked driver of digital transformation MIT Technology Review; by Genevieve Julliard and Chris Schyvinck; 1/5/26 When business leaders talk about digital transformation, their focus often jumps straight to cloud platforms, AI tools, or collaboration software. Yet, one of the most fundamental enablers of how organizations now work, and how employees experience that work, is often overlooked: audio. ... "Audio is the gatekeeper of meaning,” stresses Julliard. “If people can't hear clearly, they can't understand you. And if they can't understand you, they can't trust you, and they can't act on what you said. ..." Without clarity, comprehension and confidence collapse.

How to work clinically and ethically with chatbots and AI Medscape; by Arthur L. Caplan, PhD; 12/30/25 Hi. I’m Art Caplan. I’m at the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. I’m getting an interesting question from many doctors from different specialties, and also from more primary care people. How do I work clinically and ethically with chatbots and artificial intelligence? They’re not asking about making appointments or handling data behind the scenes. They want to know, in dealing with patients, how do I do this and do this right? ...

Technology Documentation Automation a Priority in Hospice AI Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/15/25 Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly proliferating throughout health care and beyond. Among its many applications, streamlining documentation is among the most prevalent for hospices. Hospices leverage documentation software for a wide array of functions, including visit scheduling, care plan updates, interdisciplinary team notes, medication management and bereavement services, as well as billing, compliance tracking and family communication, among other functions.

Q&A: What is the relationship between AI and clinical informatics? CDW Healthcare; by Jordan Scott; 12/8/25 ... Health systems are seeking ways to address workflow inefficiencies with artificial intelligence, but if those tools aren’t implemented with a deep understanding of existing workflows and IT environments, then they aren’t likely to succeed. Clinical informaticists are well versed in health IT implementation and the change management required to ensure buy-in and adoption. HealthTech spoke with Murielle Beene, senior vice president and chief health informatics officer at Trinity Health — a large, not-for-profit health system with 92 hospitals across 25 states — about how AI is changing the field of clinical informatics. 

10 big themes for AI in healthcare heading into 2026 Becker's Health IT; by Laura Dyrda; 11/18/25 Artificial intelligence has evolved from experimental pilots to a foundational part of healthcare strategy. Across eight sessions at the Becker’s CEO + CFO Roundtable AI Summit, hospital and health system leaders described how they are moving beyond hype to build governance, data discipline, and measurable impact. Ten key themes emerged that define where AI in healthcare stands today — and where it’s headed next. ...

Bridging the gap: A scoping review of clinical decision support systems in end-of-life care for older adults Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Susanny J Beltran, Lainey Dorris, Marie Hamel, Shanelle Harvey, Mustafa Ozkaynak, Kenan Sualp; 11/17/25 online ahead of print Background: ...  This scoping review maps the current landscape of clinical decision support (CDS) systems in EOL care, identifies key system types, and examines their effectiveness in guiding clinical decisions. ... Results: A total of 31 studies were included, categorizing CDS systems into prognostic tools, referral tools, and care informing tools. ...

Applied transformation in healthcare: From digital dreams to operational reality | Viewpoint Chief Healthcare Executive - Opinion; by Clay Holderman; 11/17/25 Healthcare’s digital transformation journey has entered a new, more demanding phase. No longer is it enough to simply adopt technology. Health systems are now expected to show tangible results: stronger margins, better patient access, and improved outcomes are under greater pressure than ever before. ... Here are three key insights from our analysis, and what healthcare leaders can do to make progress real.

New guidance offered for responsible AI use in health care - American Heart Association Science Advisory American Heart Association; by Newsroom; 11/10/25 Published in the Association’s flagship journal, Circulation, the advisory, “Pragmatic Approaches to the Evaluation and Monitoring of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare,” introduces a pragmatic, risk-based framework for evaluating and monitoring artificial intelligence (AI) tools in cardiovascular and stroke care. It builds on prior published AI frameworks to identify critical gaps in current practices.