Unpacking Ethical, Privacy, And Governance Risks in AI-IoT Based Healthcare Environments: A thematic analysis - AI Driven Health Care Innovation & Integration in India, 2026

Abstract

Objective: The paper aimed to examine ethical, privacy, and governance challenges in AI-IoT (Artificial Intelligence-based Internet of Things) healthcare environments.

Design: A total of 39 peer-reviewed open-access studies were screened and used for a systematic review using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework. A multi-stage thematic analysis was used for identifying recurring patterns within the literature and answering the research questions.

Results/outcomes: The identified challenges in the AI-IoT healthcare ecosystems, arising from the thematic analysis, are privacy and continuous surveillance, algorithmic bias and lack of explainability, limitations for informed consent, and fragmented governance and accountability.

Conclusion: The findings, in sync with STS theory, indicate that challenges in AI-IoT healthcare systems cannot be addressed solely through technological innovations. In response, the study proposed an Integrated Human-Centric Trust Framework to integrate human intervention with technological advancements.