The Impact of AI on Workforce Sustainability in Kerala's Palliative Care Grid: A Study of Home-Based Healthcare Workers

Abstract

This study examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on workforce sustainability among home-based healthcare workers in Kerala's palliative care grid. Despite Kerala's well-developed community palliative care system, workforce sustainability remains a significant challenge. Using a mixed methods approach, data were collected from 150 healthcare workers in both urban and rural areas in Kerala via surveys (n = 150) and in-depth interviews (n = 24). There were large effects of AI implementation on workforce sustainability KPIs such as 68% were more emotionally engaged with patients now that AI was being used, while 57% reported a noticeable improvement in work-life balance. But 41% struggled with the learning curve of AI-powered tools and 22% feared their job security. AI and decreased burnout were supported statistically (r = -0.62, p<0.001). This study provides empirical-based insights to support the framing of how AI might be strategically harnessed to help enhance workforce sustainability, particularly in community palliative care in resource poor settings and those involving emotional intelligence and human decision making that will not be automated.