A Project coordinated by IIIA.
Principal investigator:
Collaborating organisations:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Institut d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol-ICS (Idiap Jordi Gol), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Fundació Hosptial d'Olot i Comarcal la Garrotxa, Escuela ...
The overall objective of DALIA is to promote a responsible incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in primary care, adjusted to the care needs and well-being of patients and healthcare professionals. AI offers multiple potentialities in health, however, it also presents different challenges for clinical practice, the organization of health systems, relationships with patients or the understanding of health and disease itself. DALIA focuses on the study of the impacts and social controversies that these challenges pose for primary care, assuming that it is an essential and basic pillar for assessing equity and justice in health care, since it is the main gateway to the health system. Primary care is widely considered to be the most inclusive, equitable and efficient way to achieve universal health coverage.Given the complexity and diverse forms of knowledge needed to study and better understand the impacts of AI, the research adopts the interdisciplinary approach of Science and Technology Studies (STS), carried out by a multidisciplinary research team (sociology, anthropology, social psychology and public health), involving several research centers .Using the interdisciplinary theoretical perspective of Science and Technology Studies, rather than perceiving AI in healthcare solely as neural and statistical pattern recognition networks inherent in machine learning, this research adopts a broader perspective of AI - one that understands AI as a sociotechnical system, in line with the field of Critical AI Studies. From this approach it is assumed that: AI crystallizes and intensifies a series of previous dynamics in the field of healthcare; these dynamics imply a series of transformations in primary care, which are the conditions of possibility for AI; citizens must play an active role in any process of technological implementation and not be considered as mere recipients and; developing a responsible AI in healthcare implies integrating the contribution of social sciences and the approach developed from the ethics of care.
Thus, from this approach to IA and the general objective of promoting the responsible development of IA, the specific objectives of DALIA are:
- To analyze the perception and assessment of AI of people working in primary care centers (medical, nursing and administrative staff), its impact on professional competencies, professional identity and working conditions.
- Identify concerns and (potential) biases in patient access and the relationship with the healthcare system that is due to the implementation of AI systems.
- To assess the impact of the introduction of AI systems on primary care centers' daily practices and routines.
- Elaborate a participatory Policy Brief to ensure the incorporation of AI to help improve primary care.