The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Telemedicine for Children with Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review

Background: Chronic diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for over ۷۴% of global deaths. Children suffering from chronic conditions, along with their families, represent a particularly vulnerable population facing numerous challenges throughout the disease trajectory. According to the World Health Organization, approximately ۱۵% of children globally are affected by various chronic illnesses, significantly impacting their quality of life. The treatment and rehabilitation of these children is a long-term process, necessitating continuous monitoring even after hospital discharge. In this context, telemedicine has emerged as an innovative approach to provide timely, remote care. The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into pediatric nursing has further enhanced the effectiveness of telemedicine by enabling personalized treatment recommendations and real-time decision support. This review aims to explore the applications of AI in telemedicine for children with chronic illnesses. Methods: This narrative review synthesized published studies on the applications and challenges of AI in telemedicine. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for articles published since ۲۰۲۲. The search strategy included keywords such as "artificial intelligence," "telemedicine," "pediatrics," "AI," and "chronic diseases." Result: The reviewed studies revealed that AI contributes significantly to three major domains: monitoring, clinical guidance, and assistance. AI algorithms, through the analysis of remote monitoring data, facilitate more accurate assessments, predict disease trajectories, and enable individualized treatment plans. The implementation of AI-driven telehealth technologies has shown promising outcomes in managing conditions such as stuttering, autism, cerebral palsy, type ۱ diabetes, cancer, and hematologic disorders. Reported benefits include improvements in physical and psychological outcomes, enhanced self-care capabilities, reduced parental anxiety, and an overall better quality of life for pediatric patients. Conclusion: Despite the limited number of studies in this field, existing evidence suggests that AI plays a pivotal role in enhancing remote care for children with chronic diseases. As AI technology continues to advance, its integration into pediatric healthcare services holds the potential to significantly improve care quality, expand access to specialized services, and support families in managing complex conditions more effectively.

کلیدواژه ها:

Artificial Intelligence ، Telemedicine ، Pediatrics ، AI ، Chronic Diseases