A Sociotechnical Systems Framework for the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Delivery

In the coming years, artificial intelligence (Al) will pervade almost every aspect of the health care delivery system. Al has the potential to improve patient safety (e.g., diagnostic accuracy) as well as reduce the burden on clinicians (e.g., documentation-related workload); however, these benefits are yet to be realized. Al is only one element of a larger sociotechnical system that needs to be considered for effective Al application. In this paper, we describe the current challenges of integrating Al into clinical care and propose a sociotechnical systems (STS) approach for Al design and implementation. We demonstrate the importance of an STS approach through a case study on the design and implementation of a clinical decision support (CDS). In order for Al to reach its potential, the entire work system as well as clinical workflow must be systematically considered throughout the design of Al technology.