Race Adjustment in Clinical Algorithms and Other Clinical Decision-making Tools

This special issue of Health Equity hopes to contribute to this growing body of knowledge regarding the de-implementation efforts needed to holistically address and eradicate race essentialism from practice and education. Specifically, this issue highlights scholarship in the following areas:

• Historical origins of race adjustment in medicine, clinical decision-making tools, and artificial intelligence tools in medicine;

• Current activities, successes, and challenges around removal of race from clinical decision-making tools at the institution- and system-level and its impact on patient outcomes;

• City, state, and federal policies and policy analysis supporting removal of race adjustment from clinical decision-making tools; and

• Programs, interventions, and policies intended to interrupt or end algorithmic racial discrimination in medicine and health care.

We hope this publication captures the latest work in addressing race-based medicine and facilitate the adaptation and implementation of initiatives to correct and mitigate the harmful effects of racial discrimination in health care. As we chart the next steps of this movement—which include equitable transplantation access, federal changes in Medicaid and Medicare policy on use of race-based algorithms, biases in artificial intelligence, application of public health critical race praxis (PHCRP) in research, to name a few emerging areas—remaining abreast of current and needed work will be essential to realizing a more equitable, just, and healthy society.

From the Guest Editorial, written by Guest Editors Michelle Morse, Adriana M. Joseph, Chandra Ford, Ruqaiijah Yearby, and Nichola Davis.