AI sees pain points in x-rays radiologists can’t, particularly in Black patients
Artificial intelligence has the unique ability to spot information that doctors cannot, and a new study suggests it may be proficient at reducing racial disparities in osteoarthritis care.
On Monday, Wired detailed a recent study that trained algorithms on tens of thousands of images to specifically look for a patient’s pain level on an x-ray. The AI proved capable of beating radiologists at grading the severity of pain experienced by Black patients.
African Americans are nearly 40% less likely than their peers to receive a knee replacement, Wired reported, even though they have the same odds of suffering osteoarthritis. Income and insurance differences likely play a role, but diagnoses may also be a key factor.
It’s unclear what algorithms know about these knee x-rays that radiologists do not, but Judy Gichoya, MD, MS, a radiologist and assistant professor at Emory University, is creating a more robust study to find out.
“It may be that it’s something we do see, but in the wrong way,” Gichoya told the tech news outlet.
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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.