En kvalitativ studie om hur digitalisering och artificiell intelligens påverkar hälso- och sjukvårdskuratorers profession : En professionsteoretisk analys

Sammanfattning

Technological development reshapes the conditions for professional practice, and AI is rapidly expanding across all sectors of society. In healthcare, hospital social workers provide psychosocial support, but often find themselves in a challenging position within a system dominated by medical professions. Considering the increasing AI implementation in healthcare, this study aims to explore how hospital social workers relate to digitalization and AI, and examines the opportunities and challenges these technologies pose for their professional role within interprofessional collaboration. The study is based on qualitative interviews with six hospital social workers in somatic care and is analysed using thematic analysis, guided by Abbott’s (1988) theory of professions. The results show that hospital social workers jurisdiction is continuously challenged, yet digital tools may also strengthen their professional autonomy. Further research is needed to understand how hospital social workers engage with AI in practice.