New Hastings Center fellows, ethics framework for AI in health care; doctors and humility
January 25, 2024
Hastings Center Welcomes 13 New Fellows Focus on ethics of digital technologies, disparities, climate change, and more
The Hastings Center is pleased to announce the election of the 2023 fellows. Hastings Center fellows are a group of more than 200 individuals of outstanding accomplishment whose work has informed scholarship and public understanding of complex ethical issues in health, health care, science, and technology. The latest fellows focus on a broad range of topics with ethical implications, including digital technologies, public health, disparities at the end of life, disability rights, institutional racism, pain and addiction, and climate change. Read about the new fellows.
Constructing an Ethics Framework for AI in Biomedical Research High-level points: bioethical concerns about integrating AI tools into health
AI is being integrated very quickly into the management of health care institutions and into biomedical research. So quickly, in fact, that governance structures are struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation, said Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky last week in a talk for the University of Maryland Carey Law School’s Rothenberg Health Care Law & Policy Speaker Series. She made high-level points about bioethical concerns regarding AI in medicine and biomedical research. They include concerns for individuals, such as patients’ right to know whether AI read their x-rays, and systemic concerns, such as bias in algorithms and questions of liability—if AI causes medical harm, who is responsible? Watch Ravitsky’s talk.
What Do You Think Makes a Good Doctor? Humility, said many people in a recent study
Hastings Center senior research scholar Josephine Johnston talked with a coauthor of the humility study, Dr.Anupma Wadhwa of the University of Toronto, on the latest JSTOR Daily podcast. They explored the value of humility—an openness to being wrong—in the doctor-patient relationship and discussed concrete things that doctors can do to show humility. One example: engage in shared decision-making. This conveys to patients, as Johnston put it, “I think you know things and I think you are important,” rather than “I’m going to tell you what to do.” Listen to the conversation.
Upcoming Events
Reflections on the Idea of Social and Behavioral Genomics, with Hastings Center senior research scholar Erik Parens. February 14.
AI in Health. Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will speak about AI in health at the Lake Nona symposium. February 28 - March 1.
The Hastings Center seeks to ensure responsible health and science policy and practice. We work to secure the wisest possible use of emerging technologies and fair, compassionate, and just health care for people across their lifespan.
We strongly value your privacy and would never sell, give, or otherwise share your information. Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
