Informatics and Artificial Intelligence Approaches that Promote Use of Integrative Health Therapies in Nursing Practice: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Integrative health (IH) therapies are increasingly used to manage health conditions, but barriers hindering nurses from offering IH therapies persist. Informatics and artificial intelligence (AI) approaches have potential to promote nurses’ professional use of IH therapies. The purposes of this review are to (1) describe the state of the science of informatics and AI approaches promoting nurses’ use of IH therapies and (2) identify gaps in literature for future investigations. This systematic scoping review followed the systematic review guideline published by the Centre for Review and Dissemination. Five databases were used to retrieve relevant literature published between 2008 and 2018. Sixteen articles describing fourteen studies met predefined eligibility criteria and were reviewed. A descriptive numerical summary method and thematical analysis were used to synthesize the included literature. A fourfold typology emerged to label the informatics and AI approaches, including robots with AI, computer- and mobile-based applications, electronic communication using an information system, and information standards and standardized terminologies. The reviewed studies suggested that informatics and AI approaches could enhance the safety, accessibility, and communication of nursing IH therapies, as well as enable nursing IH data for IH-related knowledge discovery. Several gaps for future research were identified. There is a need of theory-informed research with more rigorous design and a larger scale to provide robust evidence for implementing existing applications and future innovations. Literature suggests progress toward use of informatics and AI approaches to support nurses’ professional use of IH therapies. Further high-quality and theory-informed research is needed regarding the applications used in conventional healthcare in supporting nurses’ use of IH therapies.