Millions of black people affected by racial bias in healthcare algorithms

Study reveals rampant racism in decision-making software used by US hospitals — and highlights ways to correct it.

An algorithm widely used in US hospitals to allocate health care to patients has been systematically discriminating against black people, a sweeping analysis has found. The study concluded that the algorithm was less likely to refer black people than white people who were equally sick to programmes that aim to improve care for patients with complex medical needs.