Decades of male‑focused medical research could bias health care AI
Many people will learn CPR using a flat-chested manikin. A 2024 study of 20 models of CPR manikins sold worldwide found that three-quarters were described as male or had no sex specified. Of the 20, only one offered a breast overlay.
Decades of male-focused medical research have potentially biased health care AI, according to a recent article in Medical Xpress. The study revealed that many CPR manikins, used for training, predominantly represent the male body, with only one out of 20 models offering a breast overlay. This reflects a broader tendency in medical teaching and research that treats the male body as the standard.
The lack of female representation can lead to consequences, such as lower bystander CPR rates for women compared to men in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Additionally, health care AI trained on medical records and research data may learn associations based on historical gender disparities, potentially leading to unequal treatment of patients with similar symptoms.
The article highlights the need for more representative training tools and data to ensure fairer health care AI.
Brief written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
