By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Staff Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) surges, so do its impacts on society. More and more, AI and technology are coming together to improve health outcomes. Telemedicine, for example, has effectively transformed the way the medical system delivers care. Technology has also fundamentally reshaped the roles and responsibilities of nursing professionals.
Experts say AI can expand access and continuity of care, enhance decision-making, reinvent the nurse-patient relationship and more.
“One of the most powerful impacts of telemedicine is its ability to bridge the gap between patients and providers—especially in underserved, rural or marginalized communities,” said Shebna N. Osanmoh, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Savant Care. “As a mental health professional—I have seen how telepsychiatry enables consistent, stigma-free support for individuals who may otherwise lack access to care.”
Osanmoh said the shift is reorienting nursing roles from strictly in-clinic caregivers to virtual care coordinators, educators and advocates. He said telemedicine, in particular, allows nurses to follow up with patients more frequently, track medication compliance and monitor mental health trends.
Osanmoh highlighted that telemedicine platforms create a unique intimacy where patients often feel safer opening up in their own environments.
According to a 2024 national telehealth survey by Public Opinion Strategies, a public affairs firm, 54 percent of Americans have had a telehealth visit, and 89 percent of people who have used telehealth were satisfied with their visit.
“AI and telehealth platforms allow continuous data collection—from wearable devices to mood trackers,” said Osanmoh. “As nurse practitioners, we’re interpreting real-time biometric and behavioral data to tailor interventions. This granular insight enables individualized care plans that evolve with patient needs.”
AI algorithms can flag patterns in mood disorders or detect early warning signs of decompensation, allowing for timely intervention.
“In practice, this means nurse practitioners like myself are evolving into data-informed clinicians,” said Osanmoh. “We’re integrating AI insights into care planning while preserving the empathetic, personalized touch that defines nursing.”
The rise of AI requires nurses to be tech-literate and fluent in digital health systems, and be educators and advocates for both patients and colleagues navigating new technologies.
“As nurse practitioners, especially in mental health, we guard against over-reliance on AI in emotional or nuanced situations,” he said. “ uphold ethical standards in privacy, consent and equity in digital health. Balancing high-tech tools with high-touch care is the future of compassionate nursing.”
Another example of how AI is transforming the medical field is Harmony Healthcare IT, a healthcare data management solutions provider. Harmony Healthcare IT has an AI platform called ClearWay, which is designed to automate the clinical data abstraction and submission process. ClearWay saves up to 80 percent of time spent on data abstraction using their AI tools.
“That 80 percent time savings can mean one more patient can be seen, or one more question can be answered, or even just gives a nurse a moment to breathe and regroup between emergencies,” said Leigh Ann Pepin, director of Professional Services, Integration and Platform Development at Harmony Healthcare IT. “It can help bring some sanity and focus back into a day that’s often anything but predictable.”
Pepin acknowledged that a big challenge in implementing AI tools like ClearWay is ensuring nurses trust it.
“Nurses have seen plenty of ‘tech solutions’ that promise the moon but end up adding more screens, more logins, more complexity and less time with patients,” said Pepin. “It’s about listening to what nurses really need and then building technology that respects their time and doesn’t overstep. That’s how we earn trust, and how AI can become a helpful tool for them, not just another task to manage.”
In light of those concerns around AI, Pepin assured that ClearWay was built and has been implemented in a way to ensure nurses are supported, not sidelined.
“When building and implementing ClearWay, we work closely with nurse abstractors to truly understand their workflow and challenges,” said Pepin. “This hands-on collaboration helps us design a solution that’s practical and relevant from the ground up. At its core, ClearWay is about using technology with clinicians to solve a clinician problem.”
Done right, tools like AI and telehealth, can enhance– rather than replace–the human touch of nursing.