A significant report unveils the biases present in medical devices and AI, revealing that minority ethnic groups, women, and individuals from deprived backgrounds face serious risks in healthcare. Urgent reforms are demanded to ensure equitable healthcare for all.
A recent report in the UK has revealed significant biases in medical devices and tools that pose risks to minority ethnic groups, women, and individuals from deprived backgrounds, leading to calls for urgent action to ensure equitable healthcare. The Independent Review of Equity in Medical Devices focuses on the inaccuracies of pulse oximeters and AI-based devices, which have been found to discriminate based on skin colour, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Pulse oximeters, devices crucial in measuring blood oxygen levels, have been found to overestimate oxygen levels in individuals with darker skin tones. This flaw can delay diagnosis and treatment for Black patients and has been notably concerning during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the reliance on these devices. The report outlines that such biases can lead to worse treatment outcomes and even death in affected populations.
AI technologies in healthcare have been highlighted for potential under-diagnosis in women and minorities, including the under-diagnosis of skin cancers in darker-skinned individuals and discrimination based on socioeconomic status, pointing to a significant issue with the datasets used to train these technologies. Lack of diversity in health research is identified as a contributing factor to these disparities.
Health Minister Andrew Stephenson stressed the importance of a fair and inclusive healthcare system, with the government accepting the report’s conclusions, including 18 recommendations for improvement. These call for immediate modifications, equity assessments, stricter regulations on medical devices, and enhancing training for health professionals to ensure devices are suitable across all communities.
The review underscores the social biases reflected in medical devices and AI, with experts highlighting the urgent need for government action, equitable healthcare access, and patience education on symptoms to mitigate biases in device development. The UK government has committed to removing these biases and is working towards a more inclusive healthcare system.
