Mobilizing health equity through Computable Biomedical Knowledge (CBK): a call to action to the library, information sciences, and health informatics communities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2024.1836

Keywords:

Health Equity, Health Inequalities, Health Status Disparities, Computing Methodologies, Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Library Science, Information Science

Abstract

The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and structural racism brought into focus health disparities and disproportionate impacts of disease on communities of color.  Health equity has subsequently emerged as a priority.  Recognizing that the future of health care will be informed by advanced information technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and algorithmic applications, the authors argue that to advance towards states of improved health equity, health information professionals need to engage in and encourage the conduct of research at the intersections of health equity, health disparities, and computational biomedical knowledge (CBK) applications. Recommendations are provided with a means to engage in this mobilization effort.

Author Biographies

Nancy J. Allee, University of Michigan

Director, Taubman Health Sciences Library & STEM, University of Michigan Library, Joint Faculty, Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Gerald Perry, University of Arizona

Associate Dean Emeritus, University Libraries, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Gabriel R. Rios, Indiana University

Library Director, Ruth Lilly Medical Library, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

Joshua C. Rubin , University of Michigan

Program Officer for Learning Health System Initiatives, Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Vignesh Subbian, University of Arizona

Associate Professor, College of Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Deborah E. Swain, North Carolina Central University

Professor, School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC

Terrie R. Wheeler, Weill Cornell Medicine

Library Director, Samuel J. Wood Library, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY

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Published

2024-05-22

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Commentary