Navigating the new frontier: technical, humanistic, and ethical skills in AI-augmented stroke care for vascular neurologists: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly embedded in stroke care, yet clear guidance on the competencies required for its safe and ethical use in vascular neurology is lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To map the literature on Artificial Intelligence applications across the stroke care continuum and to synthesize the technical, ethical-legal, and humanistic competencies needed for Artificial Intelligence-augmented clinical practice.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, and targeted gray literature from professional and regulatory bodies.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Peer-reviewed studies, reviews, and consensus statements or guidance documents addressing Artificial Intelligence in stroke care or related ethicallegal and humanistic competencies. Case reports, exclusively preclinical studies, and non-scholarly publications were excluded.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidance, with independent screening and narrative thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

From 1,426 records, 74 studies were included. Validated Artificial Intelligence applications were identified in hyperacute imaging (e.g., automated ASPECTS and large-vessel occlusion detection), prognostication, complication prediction, and rehabilitation monitoring, with improvements in speed and precision. Key gaps included limited external validation, insufficient bias assessment, and weak implementation governance. Three competency domains emerged: technical (data literacy and model evaluation), ethical-legal (accountability, privacy and equity), and humanistic (empathy, communicationand shared decision-making). We propose "clinical-Artificial Intelligence correlation" as a core competency integrating algorithmic outputs with clinical judgment.

CONCLUSION

Artificial Intelligence can enhance stroke care when combined with rigorous clinical oversight and strong ethical and humanistic foundations.

REGISTRATION: 10.17605/OSF.IO/G4W9J.