Mind the Gap: AI, Digital Health, and Who Gets Left Behind
General Description and Framing
Welcome to Mind the Gap! In this rapidly evolving digital age, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming every facet of our lives, and healthcare is no exception. From predicting disease outbreaks to personalizing treatment plans, AI holds immense promise to revolutionize how we stay healthy and receive care. But as an academic deeply invested in the societal and public health impact of technology, I believe it's crucial to ask a critical question: Who benefits from this revolution, and who might be left behind?
Drawing on decades of digital health history and implementation patterns, we'll explore how past innovations succeeded or failed at serving diverse communities - and what today's AI revolution can learn from those experiences. This blog is a space to explore the fascinating, often complex, and sometimes unsettling intersection of AI and digital health, always with a sharp focus on equity. We'll be discussing how these powerful technologies can either bridge or widen existing health gaps, examining the challenges of algorithmic bias, the digital divide, data privacy, and equitable access. More importantly, we'll spotlight innovative solutions, ethical frameworks, and policy considerations that can ensure AI truly serves everyone, not just a privileged few.
Through historical analysis, contemporary case studies, and real-world examples, we'll unpack the science, discuss the ethics, and share stories that highlight the human impact of AI in healthcare. Whether you're a patient, a healthcare professional, a policymaker, a technologist, or simply someone curious about the future of health, this blog aims to equip you with the knowledge and perspective needed to engage critically with this vital conversation.
Why This Should Interest You
- Your Health is on the Line: AI is already influencing medical decisions, diagnoses, and access to care. Understanding how it works – and where its blind spots might be – is crucial for advocating for your own health and the health of your loved ones.
- It's About Fairness and Justice: We believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. While access to AI itself may not be a fundamental right, when we integrate AI into healthcare systems, we make equitable access to AI-enhanced care a matter of health justice. This is not a technical problem, it's a moral one.
- The Future is Being Built Now: The decisions made today about AI's role in healthcare will have profound implications for generations to come. By engaging with these topics, you can contribute to shaping a future where technology truly serves to uplift all communities.
- Beyond the Hype (and the Fear): There's a lot of buzz around AI, both positive and negative. This blog cuts through the noise to provide a balanced, evidence-informed perspective, helping you understand the real opportunities and risks.
- Empowerment Through Knowledge: Whether you want to understand why your doctor might use an AI tool, how digital health apps can impact different communities, or what policies are needed to protect vulnerable populations, this blog will provide clarity and empower you to be a more informed citizen and advocate.
About the Author
Dr. Jamie Forrest is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia, where she investigates the transformative intersection of digital technology and global health research partnerships. With over fifteen years of experience bridging clinical and public health research operations and scholarship, Dr. Forrest brings a unique perspective to understanding how artificial intelligence and digital tools are reshaping equity, governance, and capacity distribution in North-South collaborations.
As a former lead of the TOGETHER adaptive platform trial Consortium—which recruited more than 12,000 patients across 22 global clinical sites—Dr. Forrest has hands-on experience designing and scaling multi-site research infrastructure that generates landmark evidence published in journals such as The Lancet Global Health and The New England Journal of Medicine. His career has been defined by building and co-leading cross-continental partnerships between Canadian and African institutions, working alongside academic centres, ministries of health, and international agencies to advance clinical and public health research.
This extensive field experience revealed both the transformative potential and persistent challenges of international collaboration, motivating Dr. Forrest's current scholarly focus on systematically examine capacity and equity in North-South research partnerships themselves.
Dr. Forrest is committed to ensuring that technological advances in global health research directly serve community priorities. Through Mind the Gap Digital Health Equity Blog, he shares insights on designing inclusive, sustainable collaborations that centre equity as the AI revolution unfolds and global health and its research partnerships research become increasingly more digitized.
Jamie resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. You can reach him at james.forrest@ubc.ca
Join me as we navigate this exciting and essential frontier, working towards a future where AI and digital health truly mean health for all.