In this session, A+T 2020 speakers Pearse Keane, Eerke Boiten, Ijeoma Azodo and Rafiah Badat discuss using deep learning to identify retinal disease; the future of safe and transparent access to health data; deliberate design in health and care; and inclusive design in healthcare.
Pearse Keane: Reinventing Ophthalmology through the Application of Artificial Intelligence
A retinal specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and a NIHR clinician scientist at the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, Pearse Keane spoke about using deep learning to identify retinal disease.
Ophthalmology is among the most technology-driven of the all the medical specialties, with treatments utilizing high-spec medical lasers and advanced microsurgical techniques, and diagnostics involving ultra-high resolution imaging. Ophthalmology is also at the forefront of many trailblazing research areas in healthcare, such as stem cell therapy, gene therapy, and — most recently — artificial intelligence. In July 2016, Moorfields announced a formal collaboration with one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, DeepMind.
In his presentation, Pearse describes the motivation — and urgent need — to apply deep learning to ophthalmology, the processes required to establish a research collaboration between the NHS and a company like DeepMind, the initial results of our research, and finally, why he believes that ophthalmology could be first branch of medicine to be fundamentally reinvented through the application of artificial intelligence.
Listen to our interview with Pearse talking about using deep learning in ophthalmology, and you can also read an edited version of the interview.
Eerke Boiten The Future of Safe and Transparent Access to Health Data
Professor of Cyber Security, Eerke Boiten discusses health data.
Health data, particularly in large datasets like the UK NHS does or could accumulate, has the power to transform medicine, and through that human lives. The historic way of sharing the benefits of data is to share “safe” copies of data.
The rich descriptions of people’s lives present in health data also contribute to a serious problem in exploiting them: health data cannot be anonymised, “safe” copies of health data sets do not exist.
The future is in sharing access to data rather than the data itself – which allows for greater control, greater transparency and accountability, proper data minimisation, and reduction in risk. Meanwhile, in the present, we live with a balancing of benefits and risks, driven by political, philosophical, and economic forces.
Listen to our interview with Eerke about health data access, or you can read an edited version.
Ijeoma Azodo and Rafiah Badat: Design in healthcare
Ijeoma Azodo and Rafiah Badat gave a joint talk about design in healthcare.
Ijeoma Azodo: Deliberate design in Health and Care
Practicing deliberate design and a focus on care as an active process is one way to develop digital products and services. It acknowledges the shifting communications order, hierarchy and reshaping of relationships to self and professionals in health and medicine. In this talk, examples are drawn from wearable/sensor IoT devices in care practices, digital inclusion, and design processes for tandem users (cognitive and professional) across the US, UK and Europe. Connections are drawn to the implications on access, equality and the performance of self in care with growing technology hyper-mediation.
Rafiah Badat: Inclusive Tech Design. The Minimum Standard
For tech solutions to truly address the needs of all, the design process has to be inclusive and diverse; this requires a broad representation of cognitive/physical ability, socioeconomic status, race, culture and gender preferences. Failing to do this runs the risks of creating products, systems, predictions that only apply or are accessible to some, leading to bias and inequalities which, in the field of health and social care, can have severe implications. On the flip side, an inclusive design approach means that a larger section of the population is likely to be represented thus reaping greater benefits for all.
Collaborative research involving tech experts, clinical staff, academics and the service-users themselves is crucial for guiding an inclusive design approach. Studies that compare and explore approaches for involving marginalised groups in tech design can provide specific, practical steps that can be replicated and adopted widely allowing inclusive approaches to become the norm. Furthermore, research can provide those that are marginalised with a voice to express their wants, needs and preferences which can garner understanding and empathy from industries thus motivating them to adopt an inclusive approach.
Listen to our interview with Ijeoma and Rafiah.