Unveiling Algorithmic Biases in Healthcare

Health systems face the challenge of identifying high-risk patients to prevent emergency care effectively. Dr. Obermeyer's algorithm aimed to proactively target patients before they fell ill, optimizing hospital resources. However, a promising algorithm revealed racial bias, favoring white patients over sicker black patients. The algorithm's prediction of healthcare costs inadvertently discriminated due to systemic inequalities in access and spending between white and black patients.