Palliative Care in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Evaluation of Healthcare Workers’ Awareness and Attitudes

Objective: Palliative care plays a critical role in improving quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses; however, misconceptions, educational gaps, and emerging technological challenges continue to affect its clinical implementation. This study aimed to evaluate healthcare professionals’ awareness and attitudes toward palliative care and to explore their perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in palliative care practice. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between September 1 and 30, 2025, among healthcare professionals working in tertiary care hospitals. A structured questionnaire, developed through literature review and expert consultation, was administered to physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals. The questionnaire included items on palliative care awareness and attitudes, as well as perceptions of AI applications. Content validity was confirmed (=0.88), and internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=0.82-0.86). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 337 participants were included in the analysis (response rate: 96.3%). Most participants demonstrated high awareness of palliative care principles, with 91.6% correctly identifying quality of life improvement as its primary goal. The majority rejected misconceptions that palliative care is limited to terminal stages (73.8%) or oncology patients (88.1%). Despite this, 49.6% reported insufficient training in opioid use, and 19.8% felt inadequately prepared for difficult patient-family conversations. Attitudes toward AI showed a heterogeneous distribution: 37.7% supported broader AI implementation, while 45.7% remained undecided. Concerns regarding patient confidentiality (86.7%) and loss of empathy (54.0%) were prominent, although most participants expressed willingness to receive training on AI applications. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals demonstrated generally positive awareness of palliative care; however, important gaps persist in clinical competencies such as opioid management and communication skills. AI offers potential benefits for palliative care delivery, but ethical concerns highlight the need for cautious, human-centered integration supported by structured education and governance frameworks.