Duke AI Health and the Duke University School of Nursing are proud to announce the inaugural Duke Symposium on Algorithmic Equity and Fairness in Health, scheduled to take place in spring 2024.
The symposium will be spearheaded by Dr. Michael Cary, a distinguished scholar in nursing and the Elizabeth C. Clipp Term Chair of Nursing at the School of Nursing. Dr. Cary also serves as the Health Equity Scholar for Duke AI and leads the algorithmic equity initiative within Duke AI Health.
“In healthcare, algorithmic bias can lead to disparities in diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and access to care. It can disproportionately affect marginalized and underrepresented groups, exacerbating existing health inequities. As we rely increasingly on clinical algorithms to make decisions that impact people’s lives, we must continue to raise awareness about algorithmic bias in healthcare and work towards building a more equitable healthcare system,” stated Dr. Cary.
This groundbreaking symposium aims to bring together esteemed faculty members and experts from various disciplines to address bias resulting from clinical algorithms. The goal is to develop innovative methods and interventions that promote equity in health and healthcare delivery, particularly for marginalized groups. The event will revolve around the theme “Mitigating Bias and Advancing Health Equity in Clinical Algorithms in Healthcare.”
Algorithmic bias carries significant real-world implications that pervade various domains, including employment, housing, and healthcare. While many emerging methods are being employed to comprehend and mitigate algorithmic bias, critical gaps persist in the development and implementation of such vital approaches to advance health equity research and practice solutions.
Duke AI Health has prioritized algorithmic bias in health as a central focus of its mission to foster ethical and equitable data science. “I am thrilled to support Dr. Cary’s leadership in this essential domain and eagerly anticipate the expertise this event will bring together,” remarked Dr. Michael Pencina, Vice Dean for Data Science and Director of AI Health.
The Duke School of Nursing is deeply committed to mitigating the adverse social determinants of health and eradicating health inequities. ” I commend the efforts of Dr. Cary and the team at Duke AI Health in organizing the first Duke Symposium on Algorithmic Equity and Fairness in Health,” said Dr. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Dean and Bessie Baker Distinguished Professor in the Duke University School of Nursing. “This symposium will provide a valuable platform for experts to come together, share knowledge, and develop innovative solutions to advance health equity research and practice.” He went on to say, “I particularly encourage nurses to actively engage in these discussions and contribute to the ongoing efforts to create fair and unbiased algorithms in clinical settings and throughout the community where healthcare is delivered. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in promoting equity and fairness in healthcare.”
Save the date! The symposium is scheduled to take place in person at the Duke School of Nursing from March 13-14, 2024. Additional details and registration information will be announced in fall 2023. To stay informed about the event, we encourage individuals to sign up for the Duke AI Health mailing list and the Duke School of Nursing mailing list.
Media Contact:
Sarah Riddle; Manager, External Communications, Duke University School of Nursing
Phone: (919) 613-9778
Email: sarah.j.riddle@duke.edu
About Duke University School of Nursing
A diverse community of scholars and clinicians, Duke University School of Nursing is advancing health equity and social justice by preparing nurse leaders and innovators with a commitment to improving health outcomes through transformative excellence in education, clinical practice, and nursing science. Ranked as one of the leading nursing schools in the country, Duke School of Nursing focuses on improving the health of communities locally and globally by educating the nursing leaders of tomorrow and taking tangible steps to end health inequity, like the creation of www.DUSONtrailblazer.com, a set of conceptual and applied web resources for harmful social determinants of health mitigation.
About Duke AI Health
Duke AI Health is a pioneering initiative at Duke University that focuses on the ethical and equitable application of data science in healthcare. The mission of Duke AI Health is to drive innovation, research, and collaboration to advance health equity, improve patient outcomes, and transform healthcare delivery.
