The role of artificial intelligence in virtual emergency care: a systematic review

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into virtual emergency care represents a potentially transformative approach to healthcare delivery, yet the evidence base remains poorly characterized. This systematic review comprehensively evaluates the current state of AI applications in virtual emergency care settings.

We systematically searched eight databases (Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library) from inception through March 2025. Of 7,098 records identified and 4,935 screened after deduplication using Covidence, 8 studies met inclusion criteria following exclusion of one study lacking AI components. Studies were assessed using PROBAST + AI for risk of bias and quality assessment, TRIPOD + AI for reporting quality, and GRADE for certainty of evidence.

The eight included studies (total participants: approximately 0.5 million) evaluated diverse AI applications including decision trees, machine learning ensembles, and graph neural networks across multiple virtual emergency contexts. Performance varied widely (accuracy 77.5-100%, sensitivity 63-100%, specificity 60% in single study reporting). All clinical studies demonstrated serious risk of bias. TRIPOD + AI compliance averaged only 36.9% (range 30.9-48.1%). GRADE assessment revealed very low to low certainty evidence across all outcomes, with no studies measuring actual clinical outcomes.

Current evidence is insufficient to support widespread clinical implementation of AI in virtual emergency care. While preliminary results suggest potential benefits in triage accuracy and resource efficiency, critical gaps exist in validation, clinical outcome assessment, and reporting standards. Future research must prioritize prospective controlled trials with real patient data, clinical outcome measurements, and adherence to reporting guidelines.