Artificial Intelligence in Older Adults’ Healthcare: Applications and Ethical Considerations

Öz

With the global and national rise in the population of older adults, there has been a concurrent increase in chronic diseases, disease-related complications, care requirements, and the need for social support. The use of technology-assisted applications in the diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and self-management processes of chronic diseases is becoming increasingly widespread. In older adults, artificial intelligence-based applications play a pivotal role across healthcare processes—spanning diagnosis, follow-up, treatment, adaptation, and rehabilitation—by addressing the physical and psychosocial changes associated with aging and chronic illness. These applications increase patient activity in self-management processes with many positive effects such as providing individualised care, detecting current and possible risks, facilitating the diagnosis process of diseases, supporting the process of treatment compliance, providing psychosocial support, strengthening the rehabilitation process. However, despite these benefits, the integration of artificial intelligence-based applications into older adults’ healthcare and their adaptation to these systems come with certain challenges and ethical concerns. Issues such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, digital literacy, and accessibility must be carefully considered to ensure the effective and equitable use of these technologies in the care of older adults. This review aims to comprehensively examine the role, efficacy, and potential of AI-driven applications in the management of chronic diseases among older adults, while also exploring the ethical and practical challenges that may arise. It is intended to guide healthcare professionals and researchers in developing ethically sensitive, person-centered, and accessible artificial intelligence-based strategies for optimizing the health and well-being of older adults.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Artificial Intelligence
• Ethics
• Health Care Delivery
• older adults

Yaşlı Sağlığında Yapay Zeka: Uygulamalar ve Etik Sorunlar

Öz

Dünyada ve ülkemizde yaşlı nüfus artışı ile birlikte kronik hastalıklar, hastalıklarla ilişkili komplikasyonlar, bakım ihtiyacı ve sosyal destek ihtiyacı artış göstermektedir. Kronik hastalıkların tanı, tedavi, takip ve öz yönetim süreçlerinde teknoloji destekli uygulamaların kullanımını gittikçe yaygınlaşmaktadır. Yaşlılarda kronik hastalıklar ile birlikte yaşlılığa bağlı gelişen fiziksel ve psikososyal değişikliklerin tanı, takip, tedavi, uyum ve rehabilitasyon gibi sağlık bakım süreçlerinde yapay zeka destekli uygulamalar önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Yapay zeka uygulamaları bireyselleştirilmiş bakım hizmeti sunma, mevcut ve olası riskleri saptama, hastalıkların tanılama sürecini kolaylaştırma, tedaviye uyum sürecine destek olma, psikososyal destek sağlama, rehabilitasyon sürecini güçlendirme gibi pek çok olumlu etkisi ile birlikte öz yönetim süreçlerinde hasta aktifliğini artırmaktadır. Ancak, tüm bu faydalarına rağmen, yapay zeka destekli uygulamaların yaşlı bireylerin sağlık hizmetlerine entegrasyonu ve bu sistemlere uyum sağlamaları sürecinde bazı zorluklar ve etik kaygılar da bulunmaktadır. Veri gizliliği, algoritmik önyargılar, dijital okuryazarlık ve bu teknolojilere erişilebilirlik gibi konuların ele alınması, yaşlı bakımında bu uygulamaların etkili ve adil bir şekilde kullanılmasını sağlamak açısından kritik önem taşımaktadır. Bu derleme, yaşlı bireylerin kronik hastalık yönetiminde yapay zeka destekli uygulamaların rolünü, etkinliğini, sunduğu olanakları ve karşılaşılabilecek etik ve uygulamaya yönelik zorlukları bütüncül bir şekilde ele almayı amaçlamıştır. Sağlık bakım profesyonellerine ve araştırmacılara, yaşlı bakımına yönelik yapay zeka temelli çözümleri değerlendirirken etik duyarlılığı yüksek, birey odaklı ve erişilebilir yaklaşımlar geliştirmeleri konusunda yol gösterici olabileceği düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yapay Zeka
• Etik
• Sağlık Hizmeti Sunumu
• Yaşlı

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