[2506.00241] Balancing Efficiency and Empathy: Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on AI-Supported Workflows for Serious Illness Conversations in the Emergency Department

Computer Science > Human-Computer Interaction arXiv:2506.00241 (cs) [Submitted on 30 May 2025 (v1), last revised 31 Mar 2026 (this version, v2)] Title:Balancing Efficiency and Empathy: Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on AI-Supported Workflows for Serious Illness Conversations in the Emergency Department Authors:Menglin Zhao, Zhuorui Yong, Ruijia Guan, Kai-Wei Chang, Adrian Haimovich, Kei Ouchi, Timothy Bickmore, Zhan Zhang, Bingsheng Yao, Dakuo Wang, Smit Desai View a PDF of the paper titled Balancing Efficiency and Empathy: Healthcare Providers' Perspectives on AI-Supported Workflows for Serious Illness Conversations in the Emergency Department, by Menglin Zhao and 10 other authors View PDF HTML (experimental) Abstract:Serious Illness Conversations (SICs), discussions about values and care preferences for patients with life-threatening illness, rarely occur in Emergency Departments (EDs), despite evidence that early conversations improve care alignment and reduce unnecessary interventions. We interviewed 11 ED providers to identify challenges in SICs and opportunities for technology support, with a focus on AI. Our analysis revealed a four-stage SIC workflow (identification, preparation, conduction, documentation) and barriers at each stage, including fragmented patient information, limited time and space, lack of conversational guidance, and burdensome documentation. Providers expressed interest in AI systems for synthesizing information, supporting real-time conversa...