Addressing inaccurate race and ethnicity data in medical AI

The inaccuracy of race and ethnicity data found in electronic health records (EHRs) can negatively impact patient care as artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare. Because hospitals and providers inconsistently collect such data and struggle to accurately classify individual patients, AI systems trained on these datasets can inherit and perpetuate racial bias.

In a new publication in PLOS Digital Health, experts in bioethics and law call for…