Diagnosing Medical Conditions with Algorithms

Computers are starting to be used to help doctors come up with diagnoses for patients. They take the patients’ medical history, and read images like MRI's and X-rays to form a conclusion. It is still a new technology, so I don’t think it works as well as an actual doctor would, but I think that after more years of collecting data it could be. I think the bet way to uses these algorithms is to help doctors form and opinion, but the doctor still has the final say.

Some people might wonder if this deep learning is ethical, and I think that it is. Hospitals are already storing patients information on their medical history, which is why you always have to fill out a bunch of forms whenever you make a visit. I don’t think computers analyzing the data is any less ethical than a person doing the same thing. Deep learning is only there to help people.

A possible ethical issue would be if the forms patients are filling out don’t notify them that they are using computers to help learn. If the patient doesn’t want help from a computer, they can check a box so that the algorithms won’t be used. The same goes for switching health care plans with another provider and passing the data along, but people already know that it is happening beforehand as well.