New Report Reveals Equity Bias Risk in Medical Devices

Image credit: Mufid Majnun via Unsplash

A new report from an independent panel in the UK has revealed the risk of unfair patient bias in the design and operation of medical devices, particularly those enabled by artificial intelligence (AI).

Published in March, “Equity in Medical Devices: Independent Review” delves into the scope of potential biases relating to race, ethnicity and socio-economics when developing medical devices, and provides recommendations for healthcare systems going forward.

The report also shines a light on medical devices powered by AI, calling on government decision-makers to ensure equity in medical devices is a consideration in overarching global AI policies.

“… no where is the need to ensure AI safety and equity more pressing than in medical care, where built-in biases in applications have the potential to harm already disadvantaged patients,” said review panel Chair, Professor Dame Margaret Whitehead.

“Our review reveals how existing biases and discrimination in society can unwittingly be incorporated at every stage of the lifecycle of the devices and then magnified in algorithm development and machine learning.”

Without well-resourced regulators and a government-appointed taskforce charged with assessing health equity in digital tech, as per the report’s recommendations, authors warned of risks relating to possible “biased outputs that undermine the principle of fair healthcare for all.”

“There is a real danger that innovations in medical device technology, whether in optical devices, AI or genomics, will not only outstrip the growth in our health professionals’ AI literacy and skills but will also exacerbate inequity, with potential to change the foundations of the doctor-patient relationship in unpredictable ways.”

Check out the full report for further information.