How Bias Can Creep into Health Care Algorithms and Data

Health care is rife with bias. Without careful attention, AI will perpetuate those inequities.

By Sara Harrison
Jul 4, 2022 5:00 AMJul 13, 2022 2:39 PM
Medical bias
Illustration by Kellie Jaeger

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

This story was originally published in our July/August 2022 issue as "Ghosts in the Machine." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.


If a heart attack isn’t documented, did it really happen? For an artificial intelligence program, the answer may very well be “no.” Every year, an estimated 170,000 people in the United States experience asymptomatic — or “silent” — heart attacks. During these events, patients likely have no idea that a blockage is keeping blood from flowing or that vital tissue is dying. They won’t experience any chest pain, dizziness or trouble breathing. They don’t turn beet red or collapse. Instead, they may just feel a bit tired, or have no symptoms at all. But while the patient might not realize what happened, the underlying damage can be severe and long-lasting: People who suffer silent heart attacks are at higher risk for coronary heart disease and stroke and are more likely to die within the following 10 years.

But if a doctor doesn’t diagnose that attack, it won’t be included in a patient’s electronic health records. That omission can come with dangerous consequences. AI systems are trained on health records, sifting through troves of data to study how doctors treated past patients and make predictions that can inform decisions about future care. “That’s what makes a lot of medical AI very challenging,” says Ziad Obermeyer, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies machine learning, medicine and health policy. “We almost never observe the thing that we really care about.”

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.