We have entered an era of countless innovative technology applications that aspire to improve health care. Whether targeting the system (e.g., provider, payer, payvider) or individuals, these innovative technologies may inadvertently increase already prevalent healthcare disparities. In this symposium, we will present several case examples of how innovative technology can directly impact these already existing disparities. We will also discuss how innovative technologies, when coupled with the focus on more granular interventions (i.e., precision medicine and precision public health) can propagate inequalities in data used for health-care related research. Additionally, we will discuss the need for understanding, implementing, and repurposing existing methods from database epidemiology, as well as the need for the health care researcher to understand the strengths and weaknesses of more recently developed approaches rooted in the machine learning and artificial intelligence disciplines. We suggest that integration of these approaches will lead to 1) better and more efficient quantification and understanding of inequities, and 2) improved ability to negate existing, and prevent further bias rooted in technology-related healthcare disparities. Throughout the symposium, we will discuss the complementary roles that Real-World Data, Health Economic and Outcomes Modeling, and Market Access and Value researchers must embrace to develop an improved understanding regarding the relationship between innovative technologies and healthcare disparities.

Sponsor: Lumen Value & Access