Where should AI sit in relationship-centered care, and what safeguards does that role require?

Determine where artificial intelligence should be positioned within relationship-centered patient–provider care and identify the safeguards that the chosen role requires.

Background

The paper proposes positioning AI as a mediator—"in the middle, not on top"—to support relationship-centered care by facilitating clarification, preparation, and continuity without displacing human clinical judgment. This stance is explored through CLEAR, an AI-mediated asynchronous messaging system designed to address time pressure, uneven health literacy, and care discontinuity.

Despite presenting empirical observations supporting this positioning, the authors explicitly frame open questions about the appropriate placement of AI within relationship-centered care and the safeguards necessary to maintain trust, accountability, and privacy in such mediated interactions.