Influence of artificial intelligence on the work design of emergency department clinicians a systematic literature review

OBJECTIVE: This systematic literature review aims to demonstrate how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is currently used in emergency departments (ED) and how it alters the work design of ED clinicians. AI is still new and unknown to many healthcare professionals in emergency care, leading to unfamiliarity with its capabilities. METHOD: Various criteria were used to establish the suitability of the articles to answer the research question. This study was based on 34 selected peer-reviewed papers on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Emergency Department (ED), published in the last five years. Drawing on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, all articles were scanned, read full-text, and analyzed afterward. RESULTS: The majority of the AI applications consisted of AI-based tools to aid with clinical decisions and to relieve overcrowded EDs of their burden. AI support was mostly offered during triage, the moment that sets the patient trajectory. There is ample evidence that AI-based applications could improve the clinical decision-making process. CONCLUSION: The use of AI in EDs is still in its nascent stages. Many studies focus on the question of whether AI has clinical utility, such as decision support, improving resource allocation, reducing diagnostic errors, and promoting proactivity. Some studies suggest that AI-based tools essentially have the ability to outperform human skills. However, it is evident from the literature that current technology does not have the aims or power to do so. Nevertheless, AI-based tools can impact clinician work design in the ED by providing support with clinical decisions, which could ultimately help alleviate a portion of the increasing clinical burden. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08070-7.