Health Informatics Grand Rounds

Lynette H. Gerido, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioethics
Case Western Reserve University

Moderated by: Nicole Myers, RN
Informatics Nurse at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital

Abstract: Inherited cancer syndromes are responsible for 5-10% of all diagnosed cancer cases. Genetic testing is an invaluable tool to improve outcomes for higher-risk patients and their families who may be susceptible to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) or Lynch syndrome. Unfortunately, barriers related to the documentation of family health history (FHH) and limited referrals for genetic evaluation can lead to disparities in the uptake of clinical genetic testing. A growing number of providers and researchers are turning to digital approaches to understand and address these disparities. Exciting new opportunities to link clinical data systems with non-clinical data allow us—with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning—to advance clinical knowledge. Yet, we may fail to improve health outcomes equitably if we are unable to address the ethical, legal, and social implications of biases encoded within our health informatics practices.

Co-sponsored by the Department of Health Information Management, the School of Computing and Information, Pitt Clinical NLP and AI Innovation Lab, IEEE Computer Society, Pitt Health + Explainable AI (Pitt HexAI) Research Lab, and the Center for Bioethics & Health Law