Addressing Racial Bias in Medical Algorithms: The Importance of Home Visiting and Preventive Care
STAT, an online newsroom covering health, medicine and the life sciences, just published the first story in a series titled “Embedded Bias,” highlighting how race-based clinical algorithms pervade medicine and why it’s so difficult to change these systems.
The article highlights that race-based medical algorithms have sparked significant concerns about the fairness of care provided to marginalized communities. Pediatricians such as Alexandra Epee-Bounya at Boston Children’s Hospital have questioned the use of race in clinical tools, such as UTI calculators, which often result in discriminatory practices.
For instance, Black children were frequently assigned lower risk scores for UTIs, potentially leading to underdiagnosis and long-term complications such as kidney damage. Though some health systems, like Boston Children’s Hospital, have begun removing race from these tools, progress across the healthcare system is inconsistent and slow, with many race-based algorithms still in use.
Home visiting and other preventive care programs are vital in addressing these inequities. By offering personalized, in-home education and consultations, these programs aid in early detection of health issues that may otherwise be overlooked in clinical settings.
This proactive approach can prevent the need for biased diagnostic tools by focusing on individualized care rather than generalized risk factors like race. Additionally, these programs can bridge gaps in access to care, particularly for families from underserved communities, leading to timely interventions and reducing health disparities. In a healthcare system grappling with entrenched biases, home visiting programs represent an important step toward more equitable care for all children.
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