Kaiser Permanente nurses who answer advice and triage calls say their duty of care for patients is being increasingly threatened by workplace surveillance [1]. Seven current and former nurses told CalMatters that those who spend more than 15 minutes on a call with a patient routinely face criticism from Kaiser management or get called into performance evaluation meetings [2]. Kaiser defended its use of AI, saying it deploys the technology with patient safety in mind and does not use “average handle time” to assess performance [3]. However, nurses claim that AI systems are being used to rate their empathy and tone of voice, which they believe can lead to a lack of compassion and understanding for patients [4].
The use of AI in healthcare is a growing concern, with many nurses feeling that it prioritizes speed and cost savings over quality and safety [5]. As contract negotiations begin, nurses are pushing back against the use of AI in call centers, citing concerns over automated systems assessing their empathy and tone of voice [6]. The California Nurses Association is bargaining for 25,000 nurses, including 1,000 in call centers, and is seeking to address the issue of AI surveillance in the workplace [7]. The use of AI in healthcare has the potential to improve patient outcomes, but it must be balanced with the need for human compassion and empathy [8].
Nurses are not just advocating for themselves, but for their patients, who deserve high-quality care that is not compromised by automated systems [9].
