Strides in technology have fueled rapid innovation in medical practices, data collection and analysis techniques, health businesses, and regulation, ushering in a new era of digital health. As health information is increasingly generated and shared outside of traditional medical contexts, this research field considers whether health technology can genuinely foster equity without profiling or marginalizing already vulnerable populations.
In this field review, 2022 Just Tech Fellow Kim Gallon examines the rise of generative artificial intelligence in the healthcare space and how some researchers and machine learning advocates back its use to strengthen health datasets and make them more diverse. Gallon traces the history of health data inequality in the United States and explores the ethical and equity implications of using artificial health data in health research.
As part of our collaboration with the DISCO Network, Jeff Nagy examines the growing use of AI technology in psychiatry, focusing on the intersection of depression, disability, and digital media and how algorithms and machine learning impact our relationship with mental health.
Through an examination of the literature, Kadija Ferryman synthesizes the exponential growth in health data and health information technologies, especially for marginalized populations, while also addressing common rhetorical and ethical responses to inequities in health technologies.
Amelia Gibson and Rua Williams explore academic scholarship and public discussion around disability access and accessibility and problematize the idea that disabled people truly have access to technology in contexts where they do not control technology.
