• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Healthcare Workforce: Implications and Challenges
  • Sara Kaveh,1,*
    1. Department of Health Management, Policy & Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: The remarkable advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, particularly within the healthcare sector, is indisputable. This review critically examines the profound implications of AI on the health human resource (HHR) landscape. The primary objective is to comprehensively analyze how AI integration influences various dimensions of the healthcare workforce.
  • Methods: To identify relevant literature, a search strategy was employed, combining keywords like "artificial intelligence," "healthcare workforce," and "AI". Databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase were rigorously searched until June 2023. The inclusion criteria were journal articles written in English, providing full-text access, and exclusively investigating AI's effects on the healthcare workforce, while studies beyond the healthcare domain were excluded.
  • Results: AI's applications in healthcare encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from clinical decision support and administrative task automation to automated imaging, drug design, and surgical robotics. Consequently, AI engenders multifaceted impacts on the HHR. The outcomes of AI implementation can be categorized as follows: Performance enhancement, productivity amplification, workload mitigation, workflow optimization, satisfaction improvement, and transformation of physician-patient relationships. AI-driven technologies adeptly tackle labor and time-consuming tasks, resulting in providing more free time for healthcare professionals to do more complicated tasks. Radiologists, for instance, benefit from expedited scan interpretation and more precise diagnoses, alleviating their workload. The integration of AI also revolutionizes healthcare workflow through advancements in clinical documentation, quality-measurement reporting, and point-of-care learning. These innovations automate mundane tasks, allowing physicians to focus on tasks that demand human expertise, fostering satisfaction among both healthcare providers and patients. Notably, patient safety is improved by AI. However, the leveraging of AI in healthcare has its own challenges. Addressing regulatory, legal, and ethical concerns surrounding AI implementation is imperative. Privacy concerns, scarcity of infrastructure, data availability, and economic considerations pose critical challenges. The economic aspects of AI integration encompass both upfront investment costs and potential long-term financial benefits through increased efficiency and improved patient outcomes. It is to be noted that although AI offers higher productivity, improved productivity and increased return on investment, it cannot replace all human labor.
  • Conclusion: In conclusion, the integration of AI into healthcare is transformative and pervasive. AI acts as a valuable aide in the healthcare domain, augmenting efficiency and healthcare quality, , while its economic implications need to be carefully evaluated. However, the envisioned scenario of complete human workforce replacement remains implausible. Embracing the benefits of AI necessitates a holistic approach that addresses multifarious challenges spanning legal, ethical, and economic dimensions.
  • Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Healthcare workforce, AI integration