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Negotiating Human-AI Complementarity in End-of-Life Care: A Grounded Theory Study of Nurses' Perspectives in Northeast China

    Activity: Talk or presentationPresentation at conference/workshop/seminar

    Description

    Abstract: Based on the functional and contextual applications, AI-assisted care agents can be categorized into the following types: service-oriented care agents, interaction-focused care agents, simulation-based care agents, and decision-support care agents. This study explores palliative care nurses’ perspectives on AI agent-assisted nursing through the lens of Actor Network Theory, exploring how human and non-human actors negotiate technology integration in end-of-life care. Focusing on Northeast China, a region with less developed economy and structurally marginalized end-of-life care infrastructure in the context of mainland China, this study employs grounded theory to analyze qualitative interviews with 15 palliative care nurses, selected via purposive sampling. This study addresses: (1) potential collaboration and cultural clashes between AI agent’s procedural logic and relational care ethics of nurses, (2) ethical gray zones in AI-mediated intimate tasks (e.g., legacy messaging), and (3) how policy gaps in underdeveloped settings perpetuate AI inequities. This research proposes a human-AI complementarity framework where technology ampli es nurses’ emotional intelligence, creating collaborative care ecosystems grounded in mutual reinforcement. This study will propose a policy framework to mediate techno-ethical con icts, particularly in regions with less developed economy and end-of-life care infrastructure. By centering frontline nurses’ agency, this research contributes to critical sociology of health technologies and equitable innovation in aging societies.
    Period18 Aug 2025
    Held atSciinov Group
    Degree of RecognitionInternational