Unequal By Design: Understanding and Eliminating Racial Bias in Diagnostic and Therapeutic Systems in Emergency Medicine

Bias due to racial constructs continues to distort diagnostic accuracy, treatment decisions, and resource allocation across the American healthcare landscape. Emergency physicians frequently deal with the effects of these inequities during clinical care. This session will explore examples of racial bias in multiple aspects of medical care, including race-adjusted eGFR calculations, melanin-related inaccuracies in pulse oximetry, inequities in pain treatment and opioid prescribing, and the bias embedded in emerging artificial intelligence (AI) clinical tools. Expert panelists will review the historical origins of these phenomena and explain how they affect emergency department care. They will also highlight efforts to remove or reform biased practices and provide practical bedside strategies for attendees to improve care for all patients today while advocating for equitable systems in the future.