The professionals of General Secretariat of Public Health and R&D&i of the Department of Health and Consumptionand the Big Data domain of Progress and Health Foundationwith the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyhave published an article announcing the conclusions of a collaborative study on artificial intelligence in healthcare.
In this article, the researchers present their vision on the democratization of data for “safer and more responsible” artificial intelligence in health, as well as for improving research, patient well-being and equity. This work reveals the ability of AI (Artificial intelligence) to transform medical care, while highlighting the risks linked to data biases which could perpetuate inequalities in the provision of health services, as explained by the Ministry of Health in a press release.
The article, titled “The role of open access data in democratizing AI in healthcare: a path to improved research, patient well-being and treatment equity in Andalusia, Spain” and published in “Plos One Digital Health”, underlines the importance of open access to data, considered by professionals as “essential to promote collaborative and transparent research in the field of artificial intelligence in health”. According to the authors, “this approach helps create communities of experts who work together to identify, correct and prevent bias in algorithms.”
Likewise, the article highlights the importance of establishing strong governance models to ensure the safe and ethical use of data, protecting patient privacy. Furthermore, respect for FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) as a key element to ensure effective and responsible use of open health data.
Collaborative work
In this study and in the publication of this article, the collaboration of professionals and researchers from different institutions, both linked to Public health system of Andalusia as being international in nature. The General Secretariat of Public Health and R&D&i participated in this work; the Progress and Health Foundation; THE University of Cordoba; he Reina Sofia University Hospital; he Imibic; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University; he Virgen del Rocío University Hospital; and the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville was essential in producing this article.
Within the SPF, the Big Data Space; the field of health technology assessment; the Technology Transfer Office; and the Information Systems Unit played a crucial role.
From the ministry they emphasize that this study positions Andalusia as a reference in terms of knowledge on the use of open models in artificial intelligence and health data, particularly initiatives such as the platform for the development of systems of clinical decision support and the protocol for evaluation and validation of health algorithms that take advantage of the richness and diversity of the region’s data to improve the health and well-being of its citizens.
